Cape Town City coach Benni McCarthy has set his sights on winning the Absa Premiership this season after learning his trade over the past two seasons.

The former Bafana Bafana player got his first break in football management when he replaced Eric Tinkler at the start of the 2017-18 season, and he has gone on to impress many with not only his playing style but also by being successful.

Last season McCarthy guided the club to a fourth-place finish in the Absa Premiership, where they formed part of the title battle for long periods. He also lifted his first piece of silverware with the MTN8 triumph over SuperSport United just one year after losing to the same opposition in the final of the same competition.

The 41-year-old is now keen to put his last two years of ‘learning’ into practice by targeting the league title.

‘I don’t want to learn no more. I must put the learning [from the past two seasons] into acing the exam, so I want to go and win the league now,’ McCarthy told SABC Radio.

‘I think we should be ready to go and fight and compete for those accolades – winning the league and that.

‘And, with younger players, you can’t. You’ll get away with it maybe in one or two games, but games like the Baroka’s away, you need your experienced squad and to be solid. So, if I could add another decent centre back to the mix, I would be fine.’

The Citizens open their league campaign with a tricky trip to face Baroka on 3 August.