Benni McCarthy off to Manchester to 'coach' in UEFA Champions League

06 March 2018 - 12:01 By Mark Gleeson
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Cape Town City FC head coach Benni McCarthy.
Cape Town City FC head coach Benni McCarthy.
Image: Chris Ricco/BackpagePix

While Cape Town City are in the tropical heat of Mozambique on Wednesday and take on local favourites Costa do Sol in the African Confederation Cup‚ their coach Benni McCarthy will be in the freezing cold of Manchester watching UEFA Champions League action.

He has flown to Britain for the latest installment of his UEFA PRO license where he will be watching Manchester City take on FC Basel in the second leg of their last 16 tie at the City of Manchester Stadium.

McCarthy has been doing his license through the football association in Northern Ireland but missed recent modules because of his coaching duties with City.

“Our pro license group are doing a Champions League analysis and a club visit‚” he explained.

“We have to watch and analyse Man City’s Champions League game on Wednesday. 

"Everyone on the course will be there and are put into groups and some ‘manage’ Man City and the others ‘Basle’ and you have to put yourself in the shoes of the coaches out in the dugout.

“The next day we do the club visit to look at the set up at their training facilities and their academy.”

McCarthy will be back over the weekend to take charge of next Wednesday's Nedbank Cup tie against Orlando Pirates‚ which is being played at the Cape Town Stadium.

“I will go again between April 30 and May 3  for a visit with all the other football associations to FIFA headquarters in Zurich.

 “It’s not like (Cape Town City owner) John (Comitis) didn’t know. He persuaded me to come and coach when I told him I wanted to finish my pro license. But he said otherwise.

“But I ain’t missing out and waiting another year to finish (my license). I’d rather get it over with.

“Plus‚ if you do the calculations‚ I can’t see us getting relegated‚ so we are pretty much (safe) and it won’t depend on me being there.

McCarthy says he cannot miss anymore installments of his course after being allowed to skip the last one in January around the time of the derby against Ajax Cape Town.

McCarthy stayed with the club as City beat their neighbours but got sent off after a tempestuous performance on the sidelines.

The PRO license is the highest qualification in the game and usually takes two years to complete. It also costs around R150 000 for each candidate.


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