Benni McCarthy shows his respect to one-time coaching mentor Gavin Hunt by trying to “whip him every time I come up against him”‚ the Cape Town City coach has said.
City’s 1-0 Nedbank Cup last-32 victory against Hunt’s Bidvest Wits in driving rain on Wednesday night was the Citizens’ fourth win against the Clever Boys this season.
City’s rookie coach McCarthy admitted that his domination over Hunt had been in results.
The former Blackburn striker‚ who was given his professional debut by Hunt at Seven Stars in 1995‚ conceded that Wednesday night’s victory had been a “smash-and-grab”‚ which made for a fourth time this season Wits have dominated City and lost.
“It’s not a Benni show. Me‚ I’m just the conductor here. The players are the ones who go out and perform‚” McCarthy said.
“I think they probably enjoy the fight against Wits. It’s not a hoodoo thing or getting something over ‘Coachie’ (Hunt).
“He’s most admired by me because he was my first coach. He was the guy who really believed in me.
“As a 17-year-old kid he could have said what all the other coaches said – ‘You’re too young‚ you’re too skinny. Your time will come – wait until you’re 25 and then you’ll be young enough to get the chance’.
“He threw me in at the deep end‚ knowing what I was capable of. And he forced the club to let me go to Europe‚ and not sign for the ‘big three’ in South Africa.
“So of course I have to respect him. He gave me a life in football.
“So now‚ as a newly-formed coach‚ meeting somebody that I look up to‚ as much as I’ve got my own philosophy‚ I want to follow in those footsteps.
“So what motivates me is to whip him every time I come up against him.
“And that’s how I repay him my respect. Because if I was to lose what respect am I going to get then?
“So I try and go for it every time we play ‘Coachie’ and we play Wits.”
City scored through new signing Matthew Rusike on debut in the second minute‚ then largely defended obstinately for the remainder of the cup tie.
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