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The store at London Stadium, home of English association football club West Ham United, which sells replica kits and merchandise related to the club pictured in July 2021. Photo by: CybJubal- Wikimedia.

Top 10 Outstanding Facts about Benni McCarthy

Benni McCarthy is a successful South African coach and former footballer who had a successful playing career. The legendary striker has amassed a sizable fortune from his football career and leads a comfortable life with his family.

McCarthy is widely regarded as the best striker South Africa has ever produced. He has also established himself as one of the country’s most promising young coaches. His dedication and hard work serve as an inspiration to young people who want to play football.

1. How old is Benni McCarthy?

The former Bafana Bafana player was born on November 12, 1977, in Cape Town, South Africa. He grew up in an area known for high unemployment and gang violence. He will be 44 years old in July 2022. Benni grew up on the Cape Flats in Hanover Park, where he discovered his love of football.

2. Benni McCarthy’s childhood and family background?

The store at London Stadium, home of English association football club West Ham United, which sells replica kits and merchandise related to the club pictured in July 2021. Photo by: CybJubal- Wikimedia.

Benni’s father’s name is Dudley McCarthy, and his mother’s name is Dora. He has two brothers named Jerome and Mark, as well as a sister. His brothers were also football players, but they were not as successful as he was.

Jerome, the elder brother, played for several teams, including the Kaizer Chiefs and the Manning Rangers. His younger brother, Mark, attended and played for Franklin Pierce University in the United States.

He then joined the youth structures of Crusaders, a local amateur club. McCarthy began his career with the Young Pirates, a local team managed by his uncles. He then joined the youth structures of Crusaders, a local amateur club. He was signed by first division club Seven Stars at the age of 17. ExtraTime S.L. managed him.

3. Benni McCarthy’s first wife

Numerous people are familiar with the coach because of his outstanding football career, but few are familiar with his wife and children.

While playing for Celta Vigo in Spain, he married his first wife, Maria Santos, in 2004. However, the couple divorced in 2007. McCarthy and Maria were the parents of three daughters: Minna, Mya, and Allegra.

Regardless of their divorce, the Bafana legend has always been concerned about his children.

4. Who is the current wife of Benni McCarthy?

After divorcing Maria, the AmaZulu manager waited seven years before marrying again. After four years of dating, he married Scottish model Stacey Munro in 2014.

Stacey enjoys spending time with her family and providing support to her husband. The couple has two children: Lima Rose, a daughter, and Lio Romero, a son.

5. McCarthy’s football career

McCarthy was regarded as one of the best African strikers of his generation. He began his football career in 1995 with Seven Stars before moving on to Cape Town Spurs. The 44-year-old then moved to Ajax in the Netherlands, where he won his first European championship.

His $6.5 million move to Celta Vigo in Spain is one of the most expensive for a South African player. Before joining Orlando Pirates, the legendary striker also played for Porto, Blackburn Rovers, and West Ham United.

6. Benni McCarthy’s accomplishments

The store at London Stadium, home of English association football club West Ham United, which sells replica kits and merchandise related to the club pictured in July 2021. Photo by: CybJubal- Wikimedia.

The football manager won several titles with his clubs as a player. He is also Bafana’s leading scorer, with 31 goals in 80 appearances. Benni McCarthy’s career awards and trophies are listed below.

(1) Titles Ajax: Dutch League and Cup

(2) Porto has won the Champions League, two Portuguese leagues, and two Portuguese Super Cups

(3) ABSA PSL, MTN 8, Telkom Cup: Orlando Pirates.

7. McCarthy’s career in management

McCarthy began a new career as a coach after retiring. He obtained a UEFA B license in the United Kingdom and an Irish Football Association A license.

Between 2015 and 2016, he worked as an assistant coach for the Belgian club St Truiden. He then returned to South Africa to coach Cape Town City. Here is a detailed list of teams he coached:

(1) Hibernian
McCarthy, who has lived in Edinburgh since 2013, confirmed in April 2015 that he had joined Alan Stubbs’ coaching staff at Scottish club Hibernian. McCarthy had been invited by Stubbs to learn the coaching side of things.

McCarthy knew Stubbs from their playing days at Blackburn Rovers and Everton, when McCarthy was at Blackburn Rovers and Stubbs was at Everton. McCarthy stated that he would be assisting with the U20s as well as the first team. 

(2) Sint-Truiden
In February 2015, he interned with Sint-Truidense VV club under Yannick Ferrera. McCarthy was named assistant manager to manager Chris O’Loughlin, who replaced Yannick Ferrera, on September 8, 2015.

McCarthy met O’Loughlin while working his way through the UEFA Coaching Badges system.

McCarthy left Sint-Truiden on April 20, 2016, for personal reasons, following the announcement that his contract would not be renewed.

(3) Cape Town City Football Club
McCarthy was introduced as the new Cape Town City head coach on June 13, 2017, succeeding Eric Tinkler, who left to manage SuperSport United.

McCarthy earned his UEFA Pro License while coaching City, and he won his first trophy as a coach in 2018 when he led City to the MTN 8 Cup. McCarthy was fired as Cape Town City’s head coach on November 4, 2019, after only two wins in 18 games.

(4) AmaZulu Football Club
McCarthy was introduced as the new AmaZulu F.C. head coach on December 14, 2020, succeeding Ayanda Dlamini, who stepped down on December 7, 2020. He led the club to a second-place finish in the DStv Premiership, a record high for AmaZulu in South Africa’s modern era of football.

As a result, AmaZulu qualified for the 2021-22 CAF Champions League preliminary rounds. McCarthy would guide AmaZulu to the Group Stages of the 2021-22 CAF Champions League before exiting the competition.

McCarthy and AmaZulu parted ways on March 25, 2022.

8. How much did Benni McCarthy make?

The store at London Stadium, home of English association football club West Ham United, which sells replica kits and merchandise related to the club pictured in July 2021. Photo by: CybJubal- Wikimedia.

 The Bafana legend was one of the highest-paid coaches in the DStv Premiership. While at Amazulu, he was earning around $652,000 per month.

9. Benni’s support for FIFA World Cup

Benni McCarthy expressed his support for the International Action Network on Small Arms’ Gun-Free World Cup campaign prior to the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

“This World Cup will be the greatest in football history, and the fact that it is being held in South Africa gives us the opportunity to show the world everything that is good about our country,” he said.

It’s fantastic that guns will be prohibited in stadiums—going it’s to be a fantastic party, and guns will have no place in it.

10. Benni McCarthy’s private residence

The 44-year-old owns a multimillion-dollar home in Cape Town. He also purchased a mansion in Edinburgh, Scotland, as well as one in Altrincham, England.