Benni: We want to emulate what Kaizer Chiefs did in the Champions League
AmaZulu coach Benni McCarthy has repeated his wish to emulate what Kaizer Chiefs did in the Caf Champions League by reaching the final last year.
Amakhosi qualified for the group stages for the first time in the 2020-21 edition, and went all the way to the final to finish as runners-up after losing to Pitso Mosimane's Al Ahly 3-0 in Morocco.
AmaZulu meet Horoya AC of Guinea in their second Group B match at Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban on Friday night (9pm). McCarthy believes Usuthu can repeat what Amakhosi did and maybe even go all the way to winning the trophy in the Durban club's first appearance in Africa's premier club competition.
“I do have high expectations and obviously I think we are good enough,” said the former Bafana Bafana striker and only the SA player to win the Uefa Champions League, with FC Porto in 2004.
“Yes, I said my desire is to try to emulate what Kaizer Chiefs did. No one expected Chiefs to go all the way to the final and I think that would be amazing.
“We can do that and it’s a nice target for us to want to achieve. A SA team, a team that no one expect to do anything.
“It was the first time Chiefs were in the group stages and they went all the way to the final. That’s an amazing achievement and that was really special and inspiring.”
Despite facing tough and experienced teams in Group B in Horoya, Morocco's Raja Casablanca, who they lost 1-0 to away last week, and ES Setif of Algeria, McCarthy insisted his team is capable of not just making the last-8 but going all the way.
“We also we also want to do special things and we want to do things that will inspire the next SA team in the Champions League. They will also want to do that or maybe even win it.
“We need to do things that inspire others like Chiefs inspired me. They did inspire my team because we now want to do what they did.
“So that’s my inspiration for us to play in this competition. We're fearless and we’re going to make the most of the opportunity.”
McCarthy admitted it was important for AmaZulu to beat Horoya to stand a chance of making their dream a reality.
“It will be nice that we win convincingly so that it’s a reward for all the hard work and all the effort, because nobody sees the hard work that the players put in.
“You only see the results and you get judged on that result, but you don’t see the build-up to the result.
“My hope is that we win, first of all, and then that we go past the group stages and maybe get Raja Casablanca again [in the knockout stage] because we’ll be much better prepared for them.”
The Usuthu coach admitted that AmaZulu face a strong and dangerous Horoya.
“Horoya are seasoned campaigners and are currently the fourth-best team in Africa after Al Ahly, Zamalek, Wydad and Raja Casablanca. That speaks volume of the calibre of the team that we’re up against.
“Horoya are very physical, probably more physical than Raja and their players are more athletic and they’re quick as well.”