Ex-South Africa Midfielder Credits Benni McCarthy for Ending Racial Divide at Orlando Pirates

Harambee Stars coach Benni McCarthy has received high praise for greatly contributing to the end of a culture of segregation at South African giants Orlando Pirates.

McCarthy had two highly successful years at Pirates between 2011 and 2013, leading them to the 2012 league title, their last one to date.

The South African legend had signed for the club after a short stint at English Premier League club West Ham United and Pirates offered him a chance to return to his former glories which he did with aplomb.

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McCarthy came up with a number of clutch moments for the Buccaneers, steering them to the Premier Soccer League crown, MTN and Telkom Knockout before he brought the curtains down on his career.

However, unbeknown to many, McCarthy’s impact at Pirates went far beyond the pitch as he helped foster camaraderie and bring players together, having found a fractured dressing room that was divided based on race.

“Benni McCarthy brought unity at Pirates,” former Pirates midfielder Andile Jali said on The Arena Show. “There was a time where there were cliques in the team, the black and coloured, something that Benni broke down. He insisted there is one Pirates, it’s all black,” added the ex-South Africa star, referring to the all-black shirt and shorts that Pirates don.

Jali says McCarthy’s standing as a player who had played for some of the world’s top clubs earned him respect in the dressing room and when he spoke, the rest listened, leading to the end of the racial divide that existed.

“It was then we started doing things together as a team,” Jali further stated. “We even started doing lunch altogether and sitting altogether in one place; not coloured on the other side and blacks on the other side.”

McCarthy remains highly respected in South Africa as the country’s all-time top scorer and a cult hero among Pirates fans for what he delivered on the pitch but from Jali’s words, the supporters would be delighted that he donned the famous black jersey.

The Harambee Stars boss had left South Africa as teenager in 1997 to sign for Ajax Amsterdam with his career also taking him to Spanish side Celta Vigo, Portuguese giants FC Porto, where he won the UEFA Champions League, and the Blackburn Rovers in the Premier League before signing for West Ham.