Orlando Pirates legend Teboho Moloi says Benni McCarthy will be the best man to take over the coaching reins if management decides to part ways with Mandla Ncikazi and Fadlu Davids.

Under Ncikazi and Davids the Buccaneers ended the season on a disappointing note with defeat to SuperSport United as they missed out on qualification for the Caf Confederation Cup.

Pirates, who lost to Moroccan side RS Berkane in the Confed Cup final a few weeks ago, finished their DStv Premiership campaign in sixth spot with 44 points from 30 matches.

After the loss to SuperSport on Monday, Ncikazi admitted their season was underwhelming and there was nothing to justify them not qualifying to return to the Confed Cup.

Moloi said McCarthy understood the pressure of playing for Pirates.

“He [McCarthy] played for the team, he understands what it means to wear the black and white jersey of Orlando Pirates and he has done very well as a coach.

“He is one of best players we have produced who was able to perform at the highest level of the game. He came at a time when Pirates needed to defend the treble and, honestly, him and Daine Klate did very well with the rest of the other guys.

“For him to be given a chance to coach the team, I think he might come up with the right things. He might come up with right formulas, talk to the players and make them understand what it means to play for Pirates.

“For me, if he was to be given a chance, I can put my head on a block and say he is the right type of guy to take the team back to winning ways.”

Moloi added that Pirates’ season was mixed.

“It was a mixed season with mixed emotions, especially after the team reached the Caf Confederation Cup final. It tells you that towards the end of the season, the coaches could come up and strike a balance of how to select the team and get the team to play good football, as we witnessed.

“The only thing is that during the start of the season, I think they were still trying to feel who are the right players they can use. I was impressed with the last two games of the Confed final, players raised their hands and showed they can carry the team forward.”

Moloi also weighed in on the issue of striker Gabadinho Mhango who was frozen out by the club.

“Another thing that left a question mark was how they handled the Mhango situation. The boy had already proven at Afcon he is one of the best strikers. It is just man management on how they could have gone about it.

“Use the player, let him play and give us the results and then deal with whatever off the field antics he was prone to be doing. Let him come in and help, for the cup final I just feel that had they used him we would be talking maybe a different story.”

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