Benni McCarthy Explains Why South African Players are Comfortable Playing at Home

Harambee Stars coach Benni McCarthy says South African league pays enough for players to live comfortably. Photo: Imago

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Harambee Stars coach Benni McCarthy on why he chose Kenya over a return to South Africa or Europe.

Benni McCarthy Explains Why South African Players are Comfortable Playing at Home

Joel Omotto 21:29 - 10.05.2025

Harambee Stars coach Benni McCarthy has given insights into why South Africa football has become attractive to players within the country and others on the continent.

Harambee Stars coach Benni McCarthy has been so hard on South African players in recent months over their tendency not to test themselves abroad but he seems to understand why.

South African players prefer to play all their careers at home unlike others on the continent who are always on the lookout for an opportunity to go abroad.

However, while he has been critical of them, McCarthy is thankful that South African football pays just enough for players to live comfortably while playing at home.

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“The league is run fantastically; it is very organised [and] financially is very lucrative for the teams as well. Teams can afford to pay players decent wages that they do not need to go abroad,” McCarthy said on CGTN.

“Now you can make a living playing in the South African league and have a good life so the league has become very competitive with lots of competitions, great young generation of players coming through and being given opportunities.”

McCarthy Shares Why SA Teams are Doing Well in Africa

Benni McCarthy when he played for Bafana Bafana.

McCarthy believes the financial strength of South African teams is now being felt on the continent after Mamelodi Sundowns reached the CAF Champions League final with his ex-team Orlando Pirates making it to the semi-final while Brian Mandela’s Stellenbosch went all the way to the CAF Confederation Cup semis for the first time in their history.

“The league is really on a high and because of that, teams have stability, they are stable, and financially sought after so everything is falling really nicely for South African football and that is why you see the success in CAF competitions,” he added.

“For South Africa, finally very happy that my country is settled and they are reaching the heights where they are supposed to.”

McCarthy will hope to see Sundowns lifting the Champions League trophy as they take on Egyptian side Pyramids in a two-legged final later this month.

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