Khaya Ndubane

By Khaya Ndubane

Digital Manager Phakaaathi


Is Benni McCarthy favourite to land AmaZulu head coach job?

Usuthu are currently looking for a coach after Ayanda Dlamini stepped down from his position, just four months into his three-year contract.


Former Cape Town City coach Benni McCarthy is said to be the favourite to take over the vacant head coach post at AmaZulu.

READ: Dlamini steps down as AmaZulu head coach

According to a source close to the club, McCarthy is viewed by the management as an ideal candidate to bring the glory days back to AmaZulu.

“Benni is a proven winner. He has won almost everything as a player and he also won a cup with Cape Town City in just his second season with the club. The club wants to compete for trophies hence they brought in big name players like Shabba (Siphiwe Tshabalala). That’s why they are looking at bringing a coach like Benni because he is respected by everyone because of his achievements as a player and a coach,” said the source.

Usuthu are currently looking for a coach after Ayanda Dlamini stepped down from his position, just four months into his three-year contract.

And now word is that McCarthy is the favourite to replace Dlamini.

Speaking to Robert Marawa on his Marawa Sports Worldwide, AmaZulu president Sandile Zungu could not deny or confirm that McCarthy is the man to take over the head coach job.

“Benni in the 18-area! We haven’t finalised with the coach that we will be bringing to AmaZulu,” said Zungu during the radio interview.

“It’s probably a few days, if not a week before we sign our deal. It will not be my sole decision, but we will decide as a committee. We are not bureaucratic at Usuthu but we involve people because sometimes many people’s views are better than one person’s view.

“To be very honest, a few hours after we announced Ayanda’s departure we received about 70 calls just about from everyone. We will be following processes with my support team to review who we need to go with.”

Other coaches who have been linked with the Usuthu coaching job are Gordon Igesund, Owen da Gama and Eric Tinkler.

“There is a couple of great names in the soccer fraternity who have extreme experience with the South African environment who have raised their hands. So we are spoilt for choice which is very flattering because it then means that there is something good about us,” commented Zungu.

“We have to do it right first time. It will be our first appointment of a head coach and we have to do it correctly.

“Going by the quality of signings we have made, then there are expectations that we do the right thing when we sign the coach. I am absolutely sure that whoever we will bring to the team, the players will be happy with him but I am not sure who it is because we have not finalised anything,” concluded Zungu.

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