He will be joining Bafana as they face Japan, and later Jamaica
The prodigal son of South African football could hardly contain himself yesterday after being told that he was back in the Bafana fold.
South Africa's most controversial footballer was included in the latest Bafana squad that will play Japan next week, and Jamaica the week after.
The Blackburn Rovers striker yesterday told his brother, Jerome, who is visiting him in England, that he could not wait to play for the national team again.
Jerome spoke to The Times yesterday about Benni's excitement.
Bafana face Japan on November 14 in Port Elizabeth at the Nelson Mandela stadium, followed by Jamaica three days later in Bloemfontein.
"He had a bit of a flu in the past couple of days, but he is fit," said Jerome. "He even played for Blackburn last week in a League Cup game, and scored a goal."
He confirmed that Benni would pitch up for the two matches.
Jerome, a former Kaizer Chiefs and Manning Rangers player, said Benni would like more game time in England, but he dismissed reports that the 31-year-old Bafana top scorer would be heading to Portsmouth, to join Aaron Mokoena, when the transfer window opened in January.
He said Benni's exclusion from the national team had been largely due to a "misunderstanding" between the striker and former coach Joel Santana. Santana was sacked last month and Safa re-appointed Carlos Alberto Parreira.
Parreira was present yesterday when the squad was announced. However, his assistants, Jairo Leal and Pitso Mosimane, were adamant that they had made the decisions on whom to pick for the friendly games, and both men backed McCarthy's return.
"The list was compiled by me and Pitso," said Leal.
"We kept in touch with [Parreira] even when Santana was coach and he knew all about it."
He said it did not matter whether McCarthy was in top shape or not.
"We felt it was the right time to call our top striker back into the team before the end of the year. We wanted him to finish the year with the group that has been part of the programme."
Mosimane said it was important that young players learned from Benni ahead of the World Cup.
One player who is expected to pick up some tips from McCarthy is under-20 marksman Kermit Erasmus. The 19-year-old led the Amajita attack in the World Youth Championships in Egypt in September and - along with team-mate Daylon Classen - he has been rewarded by being roped into the senior team.
"It's the last chance we have within a Fifa date to have a look at more players and we decided to call these youngsters," said Leal.
Erasmus has worked closely with Mosimane at the Supersport United academy from the age of 13. Claasen hails from the Ajax Cape Town youth academy. They are now based in Holland, where Erasmus is on loan to Excelsior from Feyenoord, and Claasen plays for Ajax Amsterdam.
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VinceRSA