It’s a dream come true to have Benni as my coach, says Keanu
CAPE TOWN CITY coach Benni McCarthy understands the importance of opportunity in football. As a young, emerging player, he benefited from brave coaches who were prepared to take a chance on his untried, inexperienced talent – and he used the opportunity to forge a hugely successful career.
Now, as a coach, McCarthy is doing exactly the same: last season, he plucked Taariq Fielies and Craig Martin from obscurity and provided the duo with an opportunity to play in the PSL. The new season has been underway for only two weeks and already the City coach has introduced the PSL to another burgeoning young talent: Keanu Cupido.
Cupido arrived at the beginning of the season from French club AC Ajaccio, but the 20-year-old defender wasn’t expected to see action so soon. But with City hamstrung by injuries to defenders, McCarthy, as is his trademark, had no hesitation in throwing the inexperienced youngster into the deep end.
Cupido, like Fielies and Martin last season, grabbed the opportunity with both feet and he has been an impressive presence in the centre of the City defence. What’s more, he popped up at the other end too, netting the winning goal in a 1-0 win over Maritzburg United at the weekend, which qualified the Cape club for a place in the semi-finals of the MTN8.
After the weekend’s MTN8 victory, City are back in PSL action on Saturday when they host Golden Arrows at Cape Town Stadium (6pm kickoff). McCarthy will be keeping a close eye on the treatment room to monitor the progress of his injured players – but, such has been the impact of Cupido, the young defender is unlikely to be dropped.
“I was obviously surprised to be given an opportunity so soon, but, as a footballer, you always have to be ready,” said Cupido. “In this game, you never know what can happen, and you always have to be ready. Coming into the team was made easier, though, by the coach and the players.
“They gave me confidence, so, when I was on the field, I was never scared or nervous.”
Cupido is from Eldorado Park in Johannesburg and he was a member of the South African squad which participated in the Under-17 World Cup in Chile three years ago. It was while he was at the Diambars Academy in Boksburg that the opportunity to go to France arrived.
“My agent is from France and he arranged a trial at AC Ajaccio,” said Cupido. “I was there for about a month and they offered me a contract. Earlier this year, my agent told me that City wanted to have a look at me. I came to Cape Town for a few days, had a few training sessions, and afterwards, they signed me.”
Cupido, in fact, is quite chuffed to be in a team coached by McCarthy.
“For me, it’s a dream come true to have Benni as my coach,” he said. “As a youngster, I watched him play, he was my role model. Now, to start my career with him as my coach, is really special.”