Benni McCarthy could miss next month’s Nedbank Cup second-round tie between his Cape Town City side and Orlando Pirates as well as more matches in April as he is finishing his Uefa Pro license.
McCarthy‚ 40‚ is looking to complete the top level qualification‚ which he has been doing through the football association in Northern Ireland.
He must return to Britain for two more examinations‚ the first in the second week of March when City are scheduled to take on Pirates‚ where McCarthy concluded his playing career‚ in the cup.
City have home advantage but the exact date and venue are yet to be announced by the Premier Soccer League.
McCarthy is also due to go back to complete the license in April when the race for the Absa Premiership should be reaching a crucial phase.
McCarthy says he cannot miss any more instalments 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.
Just R20 for the first month. Support independent journalism by subscribing to our digital news package. 