| Player Profile | |
|---|---|
| Name | Benni McCarthy |
| Nationality | South African |
| Date of Birth | 12 November 1977 |
| Latest Club | AmaZulu F.C. |
| Latest Position | Coach |
History of Benni McCarthy
Benedict Saul McCarthy, popularly known as Benni McCarthy, was born on 12 November 1977 in Cape Town, South Africa. He was raised in Cape Town’s Hanover Park area which was infamously crime-ridden and infested with gangs.
Despite that, he grew up to be one of the best soccer players in South Africa.
Football became a constructive escape from the difficulties of his childhood. He began playing at a very young age beginning with a team called Young Pirates. The team was managed by some of his relatives.
Given the prodigious career of McCarthy and his brothers, it may not be a big exaggeration to say that it is as if soccer runs in their blood. His brothers Jerome and Mark also had distinguished careers in the highest levels of professional soccer.
From Young Pirates, he joined an amateur club called the Crusaders. By the age of 17, however, he was spotted by the National First Division club Seven Stars and selected for the team.
Since then, he has been involved in the highest levels of professional soccer in South Africa as well as internationally.
Benni McCarthy In South Africa
Benni McCarthy’s club career in South Africa has been short but memorable. He quickly gained the attention of overseas clubs and moved abroad. His performance for the national team, which we will also discuss in this section, has been his major contribution to his country.
Seven Stars
Benni McCarthy started his career with a bang. Though he could not score many goals in his inaugural season with the Seven Stars, he more than made up for it in subsequent games.
His performance earned him a transfer to the better-known Cape Town Spurs.
Cape Town Spurs
He was on loan by the Seven Stars to the Cape Town Spurs for a brief period. By this time, Benni had made his international debut and began making headlines for his performances.
Around the same time, Seven Stars was in the process of merging with Cape Town Spurs to form a new team called Ajax Cape Town. This was to be a feeder team for the Dutch Eredivisie club, Ajax F.C.
So, if you are not aware of feeder teams, they are basically smaller teams owned by larger teams to scout and train younger players. The best players among the younger lot are then picked up by the bigger club.
Well, Benni McCarthy was one of the first to be picked up by Ajax in this manner.
Orlando Pirates
After a 14-year career outside South Africa, he returned to his land of birth and joined the Orlando Pirates for the 2012/13 season. He had brought with him memories of injury and struggle from abroad. But expectations were still high and he did not disappoint.
In the tournament, he helped the Pirates in many memorable encounters. For example, in the 212/13 Premier League final, he scored a crucial goal that helped the Pirates retain their championship trophy.
That also made Benni the only South African to have been part of championship-winning teams in 3 different countries.
Most notably, Orlando Pirates is the last club Benni played for. After leaving West Ham, he took some downtime which he spent training. By the time he finished the season, he had silenced his critics with his sensational success.
In 2013, he retired as a professional soccer player in style. He has been involved in coaching ever since.
Bafana Bafana
Benni McCarthy’s club career in South Africa may pale in comparison to his international club career. But his performance for his country shines prominently in his career history.
In addition to being the highest goalscorer for South Africa, he helped Bafana Bafana in many crucial campaigns. Fans simply loved how he could turn the game around and raise their hopes in seconds.
Since making his debut against the Netherlands in 1997, he has appeared in 80 international games throughout which he has scored 31 games. He was the top goalscorer in the 1998 African Cup of Nations.
In both the 1998 and 2002 FIFA World Cups, McCarthy’s contributions gave the team much cause for hope and celebration. During both campaigns, he brought the team close to qualifying beyond the group stage. However, they missed their chance by a whisker both times.
Benni McCarthy International Career
South African legend Benni McCarthy spent most of his career playing away from South Africa. That is where he found his success. This section deals with some of the highlights of his international career.
Ajax
Benni played for Ajax in just one season – the 1998/1999 season. But what a season it was!
From being a rising young soccer player from South Africa, he reached the heights of a full-blown international soccer star.
Several things contributed to making that happen. First, Ajax won the Dutch championship that year. So, to be part of the championship-winning team, that too in his first season elevated Benni to a new height.
Moreover, he was able to demonstrate his personal prowess also on the field. He scored 20 goals for Ajax in 36 appearances, plus 4 crucial assists.
Celta de Vigo
Benni’s astonishing performance with Ajax led to him being bought by Celta de Vigo in 1999/2000.
However, as soon as he entered Celta de Vigo, what should have been smooth sailing turned into turbulent waters.
You can look at this period of Benni’s career as his first low point. He had a couple of bad seasons, which prompted the Celta de Vigo manager to arrange his transfer to another club. Soon thereafter, he was on loan to the then-ailing club F.C. Porto.
FC Porto
F.C. Porto was in a bad shape when Benni McCarthy joined them. But he was paired with another legend, and they both transformed the team. The other legend was Jose Mourinho, the manager who fills every avid soccer fan with respect and admiration.
In his first season with Porto, he scored 11 goals in 12 matches and helped the team get to third place in the Primeira Liga. That is almost close to scoring a goal every match.
As Porto did not have the finances to buy McCarthy outright, they had to release him after the loan period was over. But he soon returned.
In the 2003-04 season, he took Porto to victory in the Primeira Liga. Along the way, he scored 20 goals in 23 matches, which earned him the Golden Boot award. Most memorably, he scored a hat-trick in the final to escort Porto comfortably to victory.
Benni was absolutely indispensable to Porto’s victory in the UEFA Champions League that year too. His performance against Manchester United is etched in the memory of every fan.
Blackburn
In 2006, after a ground-breaking stint with Porto, Benni was ready to take the next step in his career. He joined Blackburn and started playing in the English Premier League.
In his entire career, he spent the longest time and made the most appearances for Blackburn. His tenure with them was marked by all the ups and downs of a sportsman’s life. He experienced disappointment, injuries, and comebacks.
In all, he scored 56 goals for Blackburn by the end of his contract. He was the highest goalscorer for the club and the second-highest overall in the 2006/2007 season of the Premier League.
West Ham
Benni McCarthy’s final stint with a foreign club, West Ham, carries with it a legacy of shocking upset. He spent much of his time injured or on the bench.
The amount of soccer he played for West Ham is negligible for a star of his stature. He played only 335 minutes of soccer for the club.
Furthermore, he failed to perform as expected in the few opportunities he got. In 14 appearances for West Ham, he failed to score a single goal.
Ultimately, he agreed to the early termination of his contract and returned to South Africa.
| Benni McCarthy Teams | |
|---|---|
| Team | Period |
| Seven Star&Cape Town Spurs | 1995/1996 – 1997/1998 |
| Ajax | 1997/1998 – 1999/2000 |
| Celta de Vigo&FC Porto | 1999/2000 – 2006/2007 |
| Blackburn | 2006/2007 – 2009/2010 |
| West Ham | 2009/2010 – 2010/2011 |
| Orlando Pirates | 2011/2012 – 2013/2014 |
Frequently Asked Questions About Benni McCarthy
Benni McCarthy is a South African soccer legend. He is one of the most beloved and successful soccer players to come out of the country. He has played prominently for clubs like Celta de Vigo, Porto, Blackburn, and West Ham.
Since retiring in 2013 after an illustrious career spanning 18 years, he has been involved in professional soccer as a manager and coach.
McCarthy is currently involved with AmaZulu F.C. as their manager and coach.
Benni McCarthy played for a number of renowned clubs, including F.C. Porto, Blackburn, West Ham, and the South African Orland Pirates.
Benni is currently coaching and managing the AmaZulu F.C. The team competes in the South African Premier Soccer League, the highest level of professional soccer in South Africa.
Benni McCarthy’s net worth is estimated to be around $16 million. Though this is a completely believable figure for an internationally successful soccer star, it is an unofficial estimate that should be taken with a pinch of salt.
Born on 12 November 1977, Benni McCarthy is 44 years old.
Benni McCarthy was born in Cape Town, South Africa. He was raised in a rough neighborhood of the city called Hanover Park.
Several notable trophies and achievements mark Benni McCarthy’s career. He has twice been top scorer, once in the African Cup of Nations during 1997-98 and then again in the Superliga during the 2003-04 season. He has also been part of championship-winning teams in Portugal, Holland, and South Africa.
