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DOUBLE TROUBLE: Benni McCarthy wants to be the first SA player to win both the Euro and African champions league titles. Photos: Gallo Images

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This assertion is based on a number of observations and what people and football pundits say when talking about Bafana Bafana.

The head coach of the senior national football team is on record as saying that he sees no role there for McCarthy and others like Moroka Swallows and the Premiership's joint leading scorer, Siyabonga Nomvethe.

He had already put the country's most capped player and former captain, Aaron "Mbazo" Mokoena, out to pasture.

Some argued it was too early for Mokoena to be retired from international football.

Others were elated. Let him go, they cried out aloud.

McCarthy and Nomvethe are said to be too old for Bafana Bafana.

But their performances for their teams are not matched by any of the players called up by Mosimane.

He also bemoans the fact that there is a lack of quality strikers in Mzansi, except for Katlego Mphela.

Excuse me!

Here are two very experienced strikers who cannot get a look-in because someone thinks they are not good enough and are past their prime.

McCarthy has been something special for Orlando Pirates in recent weeks, banging in the goals, not only regularly but also spectacularly.

Nomvethe is running rings around young local defenders and is giving opposing coaches sleepless nights.

Ask Johan Neeskens at Mamelodi Sundowns. He had planned around closing Nomvethe down in their 2-all draw with Swallows last Friday - and failed.

We had always been told or been of the opinion that national team players are called up based on current form.

We were naive. Or this was a clear case of being economical with the truth because we do see that in practice. The reason Mosimane gives for their omission is that he is "building" a team for next year's Afcon and the 2014 Fifa World Cup in Brazil.

Now that is hogwash!

Shouldn't the job of building a team for the future lie with Solly Luvhengo of Amajita (Under-20s) and Shakes Mashaba of the Under-23s, who would then feed the senior team?

Someone once said age is nothing but a number.

Not true, says Mosimane.

At the time of writing, Bafana Bafana were due to play the Teranga Lions of Senegal and excuses had already been made in case of defeat. One of these is that they are more prepared than us, having played at the Afcon in Equatorial Guinea and Gabon. They also have a good number of players plying their trade abroad, we are told. But this was not entirely true as some of their top players were not here last night.

Newcastle United striker Papiss Cisse was among four players who pulled out of Senegal's squad. Forward Mame Biram Diouf, who moved from Manchester United to Hanover 96 last month, Stade Rennes defender Kader Mangane and Toulouse defender Cheikh Mbengue as well as the more well known Demba Ba also missed yesterday's game.

While we are concerned about players' ages, Egypt were pulling out all the stops to make their own 36-year-old Ahmed Hassan the world's most capped player in last night's game against Niger where he would earn his 179th cap for the Pharaohs.

They are making sure he beats Saudi Arabia goalkeeper Mohamed Al Deayea's all-time record.

Now that's patriotism and creating history for and by your own - something we cannot say about how we see and do things.

England also once went out of its way to make sure David Beckham earned that most sought-after 100th cap and created space for him to do just that.

Not so Mzansi. Mokoena would not have achieved that milestone if it was up to our present coach.

Manchester United's duo of Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs showed what they still have at 37 and 38, respectively, when they both scored for the Red Devils in their 2-1 win over Norwich City at the weekend.

McCarthy and Nomvethe can still play a role in Bafana Bafana's flagging fortunes in more ways than one.

Chief of these would be the psychological effect on the opposition coaches and players when they check our team sheet.

Our "youngsters" in the team would also learn a lot and take their games to a higher level as these guys show them the way.

That is a given - look at their effect at their clubs . You can see the swagger.

Mzansi football followers are no fools, they know their game. Ask Julio Leal at Pirates. When the going got tough against Maritzburg United, who did they call? Benni the Ghostbuster! And he obliged, as we all know he can.

Roger Milla was called up by the Indomitable Lions at the age of 40 for a World Cup he ultimately set alight.

Anyway, from the way Safa is running things, Bafana Bafana's results do not matter much.

We have found an easy and great way to "qualify" with all those 2010 Fifa World Cup facilities we have.

We will host.

So much for Vision 2014, which we are still to be shown.

Comments

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Mon May 20 18:33:40 SAST 2013 ::

Mar 1, 2012

Mhungumbye

BENNI McCarthy is going to get Pitso Mosimane fired.
___________________________________________________________
And Ignorance will get him fired

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Mar 1, 2012

Keafixa

true veri true
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Mar 1, 2012

sakhomba

I tried by all means to defend Pitso, I give up.
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Mar 1, 2012

Tasto

@Sello Rabothata - We were naive. Or this was a clear case of being economical with the truth because we do see that in practice. The reason Mosimane gives for their omission is that he is "building" a team for next year's Afcon and the 2014 Fifa World Cup in Brazil.

You are right Pistol has been with this team since 2008 under Ted Dimitru tenure, Santana,Pareira there is nothing to build he had ample time.Truth be told he never cracked it even in Greece he ended up in Cyprus while most players progressed from Greece to tougher leugues in Europe.The two strikers mentioned played in European premier leugues Serie-A Nomvethe, Dutch,Laliga,EPL Bennie.

another thing gister the game was boring except Pistol I see SUFFER is paying him well his boep was there on TV when he was comical which was the only hilite of that boring game.My mind wondered off to think abt the likes of Dolezar, Bonderenko seeing what was happening in BaFunny BaFunny bench izolo !
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Mar 1, 2012

Click

Wrong we need youngsters, the future, the Neymar's.. Benni is an expired Street-wise 2 meal.. Nomvete is a main-gate security guard..

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Mar 1, 2012

Papage

Some journos are sick, why now involve Benni in your Kak to fire Pitso, hands of Benni, he need to focus to destroy Angolans, please leave him out of this, Pitso has pltted his downfall together with Chief Nonkonyana for not paying the Sangoma.
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Mar 1, 2012

Westkanjalo

pitso & SAFA(we die)/ SUFFER i have washd my hands of u guys, if we want wins then BENNI & BHELE "have 2 play" how do we build 4 2013 afcon & 2014 world cup without any experiance in da striking department 2 show em youngsters how its done, mphela wnt score in every match, imagine if he is 2 b injured? thn wot or whus gna do the job? we want wins & not draws man & goals win u matches DAMMIT !!!
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Mar 1, 2012

Poloitsile

We must forget about what Bennie did to us when we needed him most by showing us middle finger when call upon,the days when he was still extra very hot playing in big leagues of Europe,the days when age was still in his site,the days when he was slimmer & able to run for 90 minutes non stop.Today is one of Colonel Khoza's men now everything must be forgiven & what puzzled me the same fans who want him back are the ones who used to call him names like Mcfatty,big mac,etc.He played against Libodo of Angola & he was not convincing,let's see what he's gonna do this coming weekend in return march or is he only good in this fragile league dubbed PSL.If Nomvethe & Bennie can play for Bafana,what about Aaron Mokoena,Mabizela,Lekgwathi,Mabalane & others,let's forget about young stars & call over 30 years players to don our national gear.
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Mar 1, 2012

Khakhu

Bennie NO:
We needed Bennie last time when he ws still in Europe and he didnt wanna play for Bafana, He does nt deserve to play for Bafana Bafana.

Nomvete YES: He deserve to play in Bafana Bafana.
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Mar 1, 2012

2kies

Pitso mst go...........enough is enough.
I think Krol is d way 2 go
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