Ex-Pirates Star Reveals How Benni McCarthy Blew Ksh750K on Birthday Bash - ‘He Shut Down the Club’

Harambee Stars coach Benni McCarthy’s act of generosity has been put to the fore again after one of his former teammates revealed that he once spent a colossal amount on a birthday party.

McCarthy, who was known to stand up for his teammates and demand that they get paid well and on time, remains a favourite among those who played with him and the ones that watched him torment defenders on the pitch.

The former Ajax Amsterdam, Celta Vigo, FC Porto and Blackburn Rovers striker also liked to have a good time and one of those involved throwing a memorable birthday bash for his teammate.

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Former South Africa goalkeeper Brighton Mhlongo has revealed how McCarthy left him speechless when he spent his entire national team bonus of R100,000 (Ksh759,467 as per current exchange rate) on his birthday party.

“I will tell you another story about bonuses at the national team. This guy [McCarthy] gets R100k from the tournament,” Mhlongo told Soccer Laduma.

“I have never seen this ever in my life where he sends me a picture of, I think it was R100k cash, then he says to me; ‘This is the money that we are all going to enjoy. Literally I did not know on that day and then he says to me, because he asked me on my day what I'm going to do and I said; ‘Don’t do that we will go out.’

“I thought it is typical going out as a group. This guy [McCarthy], he closed the club. Shut down the club and they threw a huge birthday party for me with the R100,000.

“He said; ‘Everyone you are invited; it is Brighton’s day. I felt like a king. This R100,000 is coming from Benni McCarthy.”

Besides being national team teammates at Bafana Bafana, Mhlongo and McCarthy also played together at Orlando Pirates, where the Harambee Stars boss had two great years between 2011 and 2013, while the latter stayed at the club from 2011-2017.

They seem to have forged a strong friendship that McCarthy had no qualms splashing a huge amount of money to make his special day memorable.