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Focus now on Stellies

Benni swings from despair to high spirits

Neville Khoza Journalist
Benni McCarthy (Head Coach) of AmaZulu FC during the DStv Premiership match between AmaZulu FC and Maritzburg United at Jonsson Kings Park Stadium on January 17, 2021 in Durban, South Africa.
Benni McCarthy (Head Coach) of AmaZulu FC during the DStv Premiership match between AmaZulu FC and Maritzburg United at Jonsson Kings Park Stadium on January 17, 2021 in Durban, South Africa.
Image: Steve Haag/BackPagePix/Gallo Images

Just a few days ago, AmaZulu coach Benni McCarthy revealed that he was running out of his patience with his players. But following the victory at the weekend, he has now changed his tune, describing them as a "bunch of winners".

On Saturday, AmaZulu won 2-0 at Baroka FC, in a match played at Peter Mokaba Stadium, Polokwane. The result ended Usuthu's four-match winless run in the DStv Premiership.

McCarthy has always emphasised that they were not clinical enough in front of goals since he took over at the club and that his patience was now running out.

But he was pleased to see the team score two goals from Bonginkosi Ntuli and Sphelele Magubane. The three points lifted the club to eighth on the table.

“Well deserved three points. I was a bit concerned coming to this game after playing a hard and difficult game against SuperSport United where we should have walked away with all three points, and we didn’t,” McCarthy told the club media department after the match.

“And the bus trip [to] here, the heat, but you know what, these players are just a bunch of winners. It is difficult for a coach not to succeed when you have players like these who are willing to work hard and put in an effort.

“They are also willing to learn and get better. We started the game as we finished against the SuperSport game. High spirited and you know what, we’ve been playing fantastic football, and it was just a matter of time that we started finding our feet and became a little bit clinical in front of goals.

“I think we will run teams over, but when we score the goals. We will pick up three points, and we scored two, we were unfortunate not to have three or four.”

Having collected four points in two matches on the road, McCarthy is satisfied with the results and hopes to build on this ahead of their next game against Stellenbosch FC at home on Friday.  

“Most important is we got two goals, and now we walk away with three points. A week away from home, four points out of a possible six. Yeah [against] SuperSport, it could have been another three.

“But beggers can’t be choosers. I guess we take the four points, and we move on. Now we can go back and see our families, and we can focus on our next game against Stellenbosch.” 

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