Benni Mccarthy: “Locals want to punch me in La Coruna”

The ex-porto and Blackburn striker is now boss of Cape Town City – returning to the place where he dodged bullets as a child

How would you describe Benni Mccarthy the manager? Animated, passionate – just like I was on the pitch. I love my job. I like making a difference to the lives of players and improving them. Sometimes I’m too animated and get into trouble, like fights with opposition managers and referees. I’ll trim it down as I mature in coaching, but the passion will never go away. Did you ever see yourself as a manager? No, but I always passed on advice to players. I could see things happening before they did on the pitch. I have much to give, especially to young players in South Africa. I spent most of my career at a high level in Europe, and saw the youth system at Ajax. I played for very good teams in Spain and Portugal, where Porto were perfectionists and winners. We won the Champions League and I learned a lot working under Jose Mourinho, before playing in the Premier League. I learned how to be the best professional I could be, and I wanted to give South African football what it was lacking. I did all my coaching badges, I’ve studied the game and I can help players make better decisions on the pitch. Some South African players have amazing nicknames. What are the best ones? The outrageous nicknames are a culture thing. I grew up in Cape Town, with its British and Afrikaan influences. I remember the late John ‘Shoes’ Moshoeu. He had unbelievable feet and looked like he was wearing dancing shoes. There was another player called ‘Bazooka’! I used to think, ‘What on earth made someone call him ‘Bazooka’?’ But he would hammer the ball so hard that the keeper had no chance. Then there was Doctor Khumalo – that was his real name. His nickname was ‘16 valve’ and he was a legendary player who I idolised. He was like Paul Scholes, the brains of the operation, named after the VW Golf which came out and was super fast. Doctor was slow so I couldn’t understand the name, but it was because of his quick thinking. Some of the nicknames are ironic, though. We had a young player called ‘Grandpa’ in our team. How would you describe Hanover Park on the Cape Flats where you grew up playing? We were street footballers, but it wasn’t for the faint-hearted. You’d hear gunshots flying over the football pitch – we’d duck down mid-match, then carry on. Little fazed me in professional football, because of what I’d seen in my childhood. The drug lords had football teams and they’d have weekend tournaments. It was gangster league football but there were truces when the games were played on the weekends. You went from that to Ajax’s football factory in 1997... They’d just won the Champions League, playing teenagers like Patrick Kluivert. It was a culture shock to go to Amsterdam. My eyes popped out of my head looking at nearly naked women in the red light area. In the windows, they looked like they were from magazines, and they were calling me! If you tried to speak to a woman in Cape Town, they’d chase you away like a dog. Now these women wanted me, as I stood in the street. It took a while to get my head around. How did it feel to became the first South African to score at the World Cup finals? Incredible. I’d watched the finals as a kid, then I was playing in France 98, and scored our first goal. You were the most expensive South African when you left Holland for Celta Vigo. Is it true that you’re banned from La Coruna? Not officially. But when I played for Celta Vigo, the rivalry with Deportivo La Coruna was so tough. I celebrated wildly when we scored a goal against them. In an interview I also used a derogatory name for people from La Coruna, which people from Vigo used. I’m not officially banned, but I was told that I should never step foot in La Coruna again. I’d get punched if I went there, but I have no intention of going there when beautiful Vigo is next door. What was it like playing in Spain? Difficult at first, a new language. Being black wasn’t easy playing in Spain. I was racially abused all the time, it was horrendous. I was called ‘monkey’ on a weekly basis. But then you crossed the border and Jose Mourinho entered your life… I was low on confidence when I went to Porto, where this new young manager put his arm around me. He wanted to know about my life, my family. He was like an older brother looking after me. I felt at ease. I wasn’t an outsider from Africa, I was treated the same as all the other players. That allowed me to focus on football, he made me feel special and it helped me to play my best. I became the first South African player to win the Champions League. You were regularly linked with a move to the Premier League... I really wanted to play in England. Everton and David Moyes were interested, and Kevin Keegan wanted me at Manchester City. He got Robbie Fowler and Nicolas Anelka instead. Middlesbrough were about to sign me - I went to the training ground and wanted to play for Bryan Robson, but Porto couldn’t agree a deal. Mourinho was happy about that. He said he wanted to go to England and that he’d take me when he eventually did. He tried to take me to Chelsea, but Porto wouldn’t allow it. I had a voodoo spell against me that England was never going to happen for me. I was in my comfort zone in Porto and I’d given up my English dream, but Mark Hughes came calling. He wanted me at Blackburn to replace Craig Bellamy. With my contract running down, Porto were happy to make some money. You had a good first year at Blackburn, then things went off the boil. Why did that happen? Chelsea. My head was turned and Jose wanted to sign me. What does the future hold for you? I’m ambitious. I’m watching former players like Pep Guardiola and Mauricio Pochettino, who I played against in Spain. I don’t want to be far off them. I don’t see any black coaches in the Premier League. I’m going to strive and learn, and force myself to be a Premier League manager one day. It’s a big dream and no one

is going to be able to crush it.