Benni McCarthy Reveals 'Full-Circle' Irony of Coaching After 'Giving Managers a Tough Time'

Harambee Stars coach Benni McCarthy has gone down memory lane to the time when he was a player as he revealed the major thing he thinks about after getting into management.

Benni McCarthy carved out a historic career as a formidable South African forward, becoming one of the country's most decorated footballers.

His professional journey began on the domestic front with Seven Stars in South Africa, where he played from 1995 to 1997. He then earned a move to Europe in 1997 when he joined Dutch giants Ajax Amsterdam.

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In 1999, he transferred to Spain's Celta Vigo, but it was his subsequent move to FC Porto that marked the peak of his club success. Benni McCarthy moved to the English Premier League, where he spent four productive years with Blackburn Rovers (2006-2010).

A brief spell at West Ham United followed, before he returned to South Africa in 2011 to join Orlando Pirates. Benni McCarthy officially retired from professional football in 2013, at the age of 35.

Now, after transitioning to coaching, Benni McCarthy has opened how different life has been as he recalled the memories during his playing time at Porto FC.

Benni McCarthy’s initial coaching experience came as an assistant manager at Belgian club Sint-Truiden, a role he started in September 2015.

He soon returned to his home country for his first major head coach role, taking charge of Cape Town City FC in June 2017. He remained in the role until November 2019.

His next head coaching position in South Africa was with AmaZulu FC, where he was appointed in December 2020. He ultimately parted ways with AmaZulu in March 2022.

In July 2022, Benni McCarthy made a high-profile move to the Premier League, joining the staff at Manchester United as a first-team forward coach. His contract ended in June 2024. Benni McCarthy was then appointed the manager of the Harambee Stars in March 2025.

“Great memories, and you know, when you think back, when you watch football now, and you think back when we played, how different it was, how difficult it was as well, but yeah, I think just because we had so much success, you smile when you talk about those moments,” Benni McCarthy revealed in an interview on the Added Time Podcast.

Benni McCarthy added that he enjoys seeing many of his former teammates move into coaching and management, noting that it often made him think back to their playing days and how much trouble they used to give their own coaches.

The former Manchester United coach explained that those memories come rushing back, especially now that they find themselves on the opposite side, dealing with the same pressures and frustrations.

Benni McCarthy added that it raises a funny question about how they cope with players who behave the way they once did, and whether they accept the same kind of teasing and resistance they used to give their managers in the past.

“You smile when you see your ex-teammates now that are all going into management, into coaching and where they are. And then you kind of just rerun those moments back in your head when we used to play what we were like as players, and how we gave managers such a tough time, and now you're on that other end,” he added.

“You are the manager now, so I wonder how they deal with it when they know they used to give managers really hell when we played, and now we're all managers or coaches and if we accept players taunting us the way we used to taunt managers back in the days.”

Despite the challenges of being on the opposite side of the game, Benni McCarthy embraces the journey with humour and experience.

For him, coaching is a full-circle moment that connects the past to the present, reminding him how far he and his generation have come.

And as he continues his new chapter with the Harambee Stars, the same passion that defined his playing career is driving him to build success from the touchline, just as he once did on the pitch.