Benni impresses Bucs trainer
Benni McCarthy may have been sitting on the bench for months, but he seems to be in good shape after his first training session at Orlando Pirates. Benni McCarthy may have been sitting on the bench for months, but he seems to be in good shape after his first training session at Orlando Pirates.
Bordered by two main roads where pedestrians and cars travel through frequently, the Johannesburg Stadium B field used as a training ground by Orlando Pirates is bound to catch the eye of any passer-by.
Yesterday, the number of onlookers watching proceedings through the fence was higher than usual, and it was not difficult to see why. It was Benni McCarthy’s first training session with the Buccaneers, a day after the Bafana Bafana all-time leading scorer had signed a two-year deal with the club.
Wearing a black tracksuit, McCarthy was limited to doing private drills with the Pirates fitness trainer Japhet Borges – some laps, exercises and light jogging – while the rest of his teammates took part in an on-the-field practice game.
And as he prepares for his first real test in the form of Saturday’s MTN8 quarter-final against Santos (Orlando Stadium, 8.15pm), Pirates coach Julio Leal is toying with the idea of throwing McCarthy into the fray, in spite of the 33-year-old’s fitness challenges.
“Even if he’s had two or three (training) sessions, he can play, but I will get the overall evaluation from the physical trainer (Borges) and make a decision from there. For now it’s difficult to say for sure if he will play,” Leal said.
Borges’s assessment was positive, according to comments attributed to him on the Pirates website hours after concluding the workout with McCarthy. “I’m happy with Benni. It’s only his first training with the team but I am highly impressed by his work rate,” he was quoted as saying.
McCarthy himself professed to be “hungry for action”, adding that he can’t wait to join the team in full sessions. “I really enjoyed my first day at training and I’m looking forward to joining the rest of the team for full sessions very soon. But for now, I’m fully focused on working on my fitness and the rest will follow,” he said.
Leal, meanwhile, must ponder whether fielding a man who’s not played competitive football for months is worth the risk in his first official match, but he has little doubt Bucs have made the correct signing.
“It was a good deal for Benni to come back home ... to play under the eye of his critics. He’s a player who’s got international experience. He played at the highest level and scored goals there. He needs to work on certain aspects to be fully fit. We will do tests and take a decision on whether he plays on Saturday,” Leal commented.
The Brazilian promised Pirates won’t deviate much from his predecessor Ruud Krol’s approach when they begin the defence of the R8-million cup they clinched last year.
“We are ready to defend our title, even though a lot of work still needs to be done. I’m using a basic system that was used successfully last year, where we conceded few goals and scored enough to win the league plus two cups. The style of play will change, because we want the players to have a little more freedom on the ball. We are getting there in terms of executing this system.”
On the injury front, Leal will go into the match against Santos without Isaac Chansa, who is expected to return to the field only in six weeks’ time. But ’keeper Moeneeb Josephs, who played his first game for Bucs in more than six months at the weekend, is expected to start ahead of Senzo Meyiwa. - The Star