Pitso’s Warning: Never Underestimate Benni!

(Photo by Lefty Shivambu/Gallo Images)

Bafana Bafana head coach Pitso Mosimane has warned his players against underestimating Kenya, highlighting the influence of Benni McCarthy and the danger of facing a team motivated by the pressure surrounding its coach.

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South Africa are preparing for back-to-back 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against the Kenya side led by McCarthy, with Mosimane making it clear that Bafana will need to approach the fixtures with the necessary respect.

The former Mamelodi Sundowns coach believes the situation surrounding a coach’s future can have a significant impact on a team, particularly when players are motivated to fight for their leader.

“If a player or a coach’s future depends on a game, you’ve got to be very, very careful of that because sometimes the players play for him and you can get the biggest surprise you can ever have. So be very careful of playing an emotional team and especially when they have nothing to lose. They’re already in the Cup of Nations qualifiers, the African qualifiers, in the finals,” Mosimane told the media at a press conference on Monday.

The Bafana coach also paid tribute to McCarthy, acknowledging his achievements as a player and his coaching experience, including his time at Manchester United, where he worked with Cristiano Ronaldo.

“You’ve got to also respect that Benni is a good coach. Benni was coach in Manchester United, a dream that any coach in South Africa wished to have. He coached [Cristiano] Ronaldo, excuse me.”

“You’ve got to respect the level at which he has coached and you’ve got to respect the level at which he has played. None of us in the whole continent has got the gold medal of [UEFA] Champions League. So you’ve got to understand those facts I’m giving you, that what kind of person we are talking about in terms of the fight in football to win, the fight to personality to win at all costs.”

Kenya also have players competing across several European leagues, something Mosimane believes should further discourage any complacency from the South African side.

The coach referenced Cape Verde’s progress at the World Cup as a reminder of the need to respect every opponent, regardless of reputation or perceived standing.

“So be careful of you undermining teams and also let’s learn from Capo Verde in the World Cup that you must respect all your opponents and it’s all on the pitch and until the referee blows his final whistle, then you can say you’ve won the game.”

“Otherwise, I don’t live in the space of complacency because I’ve lost many, many games to teams that in my career were bottom of the North or so-called Minnos or no one ever saw them coming. So you’ve got to respect it.”

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