AmaZulu FC might have exceeded expectations in the DStv Premiership this season but their performances won’t make the players big-headed, says head coach Benni McCarthy.
The 43-year-old is one of the greatest players in the history of Bafana Bafana football, having impressed on the local and international scene at large.
Also having won titles in Europe, McCarthy is certain his players won’t crack in any way, following recent plaudits that have come their way. His reason is simply because he has been in similar situations as a player and understands how all of these work.
“At Ajax Amsterdam, I won the Dutch league, I won lots of things as a player, I was first at FC Porto, I won the Champions League, won league titles, so uncharted territories maybe for other people, for me, nope,” Benni said, speaking to the media.
“I think we shown capacity to work under and what we can achieve with the mindset we have, so my players know for one, that we can’t take anything for granted. Wherever we’ve worked for we’ve earned, to keep that way we want to keep working and working, so we don’t take anything for granted, so yeah when i get a question like that on how to keep my players grounded.
“My players are grounded, more grounded because they have a coach who has been where probably no player in South Africa has ever been, so they know that charity begins at home.”
McCarthy says as a coach, he is mirroring a fruitful career as a footballer to help his players understand that being humble pays off eventually.
“Like I said, my team has a coach who is been in some of the most competitive dressing rooms in world football, being humble and respectful… this is what I do best.
“That’s why I managed to achieve what I have, now that I’m a coach I’m trying to live by that code, so you will never have a single player playing for me and not being humble, not being respectful and take life for granted. “
“Then you (are) not a Benni McCarthy or AmaZulu FC player if that is your mentality. I don’t have to keep my players grounded and think they’ve arrived. They know what demanded and required from them every single day so you don’t need to worry about that, they don’t think they’ve arrived. They want to be on top and stay there” added the coach.