AmaZulu coach Benni McCarthy has reportedly agreed on a deal in principle to become the next head coach of Bafana Bafana, according to reports.
The South African national team head coach job became available after the sacking of Molefi Ntseki for failing to qualify for next year’s Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon.
The South African Football Association (Safa) had to postpone last week’s announcement of the new coach, citing Covid-19 travel restrictions.
The AmaZulu mentor is one of five candidates on the shortlist presented by Safa’s technical committee to the NEC on Saturday, which also includes Portuguese Carlos Queiroz‚ Al Ahly coach Pitso Mosimane, Kaizer Chiefs coach Gavin Hunt and Saudi Arabia coach Herve Renard or Belgian Hugo Broos.
TimesLIVE reported that McCarthy agreed in principle to be appointed the next Bafana coach‚ and agreed on a salary‚ and has already chosen his technical staff, which will be made up of Siyabonga Nomvete as his assistant and Moeneeb Josephs as goalkeeper-coach.
Speaking at his pre-match press conference on Thursday, McCarthy revealed that he is loyal to Usuthu while downplaying the idea of taking over the Bafana job.
‘When you do well and you become successful you get linked to everything‚’ McCarthy told the media.
‘In my life as a footballer and now as a coach I have suffered many disappointments because I have followed my heart and not Benni McCarthy.
‘But as time went by I learned to understand my body and how it works‚ where as much as my heart loves something‚ the gut is what you really have to follow.
‘I had one of the biggest disappointments in my life when I was still a player when I could have join Chelsea‚ but I sat down with my heart. The whole thing ended up almost costing me my career.
‘My heart wanted to be at the bigger club‚ play for the best manager [Jose Mourinho] in the world at the time‚ and then when it didn’t happen I got slashed in a million pieces. Then I had to start all over again.
‘I’ve made myself understand that battle better and now I don’t want to make the same mistakes.
‘As delicious as Bafana sounds and all that‚ I’m very happy [at AmaZulu] and I love what I’m doing there. I come in with the biggest smile on my face and when I see my players they give me the same joy.
‘My wife sees me and my kids see me so while I have that‚ I’m not hungry and my eyes are not bigger than my belly.
‘I’m very happy where I am‚ I love what I have‚ so whatever these rumours are when you do well‚ it’s just a shame.
‘I’m very much with AmaZulu and my players know my feelings. My players know what I do every day in training. No big changes. We just work hard at AmaZulu.’
