Ailing Kaizer Chiefs and BidVest Wits loom large for new coach Benni McCarthy

Benni McCarthy’s dream start to his tenure with Cape Town City will face more stern tests over the next three matches.

McCarthy has won four from four since replacing Eric Tinkler in the hot-seat‚ including a pair of 1-0 victories over MTN8 and league champions BidVest Wits.

They will face Wits again in the second leg of their MTN8 semifinal in Johannesburg on Sunday‚ before tackling both Soweto giants in the league directly after.

Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates may not be the forces of old‚ but their scalps would still be a notable feather in the cap of young coach McCarthy‚ who says his team is benefiting from the freedom he affords them on the pitch.

And he adds that his technical team‚ which includes assistant coach Ian Taylor and goalkeeper coach Calvin Marlin‚ have also had a large part to play in their fine start to the campaign.

“We are all young guys and we are ambitious‚ our approach with the players is completely … I won’t say chillaxing‚ but we are not marshalling them with a big cane behind‚" he said.

"We give them the freedom and want them to enjoy themselves‚ but within the system we want to play.”

He said the positive atmosphere in the squad has had a large role to play in their early season success‚ and will have been heartened that even after his difficult decision to axe captain Lebogang Manyama for the first leg of their MTN8 semifinal with Wits‚ the team still put in an assured performance.

Manyama has since left for Turkish side Konyaspor.

“I just want them to play with a smile on their face and then things will come‚” McCarthy said.

“There is enough quality there to match the opposition.

"Also in terms of physicality and pace of the game.

“Quality we are overloaded with‚ we just need to do the dirty work first and foremost and that’s what I think we do‚ we seem to keep teams at bay and eventually as the game progresses‚ the quality comes through.”

McCarthy’s success means he too has cut a jovial figure‚ something that will be tested when the inevitable defeats do come.

But for now‚ he couldn’t be happier.

“For me‚ it is from Monday to Friday I come to work because I want to enjoy the Saturdays [matches]. That’s why we do it.

"It gives me the greatest pleasure when you have a good week and then round it off with a performance.

“It’s all about winning‚ I want them [the players] to grow a habit‚ that when you walk out of the dressingroom‚ they do that because they want to win.

“As long as they give me 100 percent effort and commitment‚ and they leave everything out there‚ then irrespective of the result‚ I am happy with that.”