AmaZulu have confirmed the appointment of former Cape Town City coach Benni McCarthy as their new head coach.
The 43-year-old will now take over the helm at Usuthu by replacing Ayanda Dlamini, who recently voluntarily stepped down from his head-coaching role at the club with immediate effect.
As a result, Dlamini has since been reassigned to the role of coach within the club’s development ranks with McCarthy’s appointment it now means that interim coach Allan Freese will assume his role as assistant coach.
This will be McCarthy’s second coaching stint, having last coached Cape Town City from June 2017 before parting ways with the club in November 2019.
The appointment of McCarthy signals Usuthu’s intent of securing a top four finish in the DStv Premiership as articulated by club president, Sandile Zungu.
‘Mr. McCarthy comes with the right combination of experience and qualifications we believe will assist us in achieving the goals we have set for ourselves,’ said Zungu at a media briefing at Zungu on Main, in Bryanston.
‘We have been decisive in our objectives and what we want achieve as club and as a brand. That is why we sought to secure the right coach at the earliest possible time. I want to thank our new coach and his representatives for ensuring that we were able to come to agreeable terms as soon as we did. He will immediately join the players and get to know them concluded the President.’
Heebe!
A historical moment at the club, we welcome a legend in football as the head coach of #AmaZuluFC. Ready to drive the boys to Top 4 this season and beyond. #HebeUsuthu #UsuthuTogether pic.twitter.com/fNAJNjWZ6G— AmaZulu FC (@AmaZuluFootball) December 14, 2020
Expressing his expectations of assuming the head coaching role at AmaZulu McCarthy thanked the club president for his confidence in executing his coaching duties.
‘I would like to thank the President and his leadership for selecting me and the confidence they have expressed in brining me to the club. The first thing we spoke about was the vision of the club both in the short and long terms,’ McCarthy said.
‘The President and the club did not have to sell me this vision. The fact that they want to not only impact the current squad of players but also the younger players who are still building their careers, because I was once a young payer myself and it’s important that we support those players. I’m highly optimistic that we will achieve the goals we have set for ourselves.’