McCarthy was a whirlwind of goals, comfortably the most potent striking talent South Africa has ever produced, for all his run-ins with the South African Football Association.
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Now, South Africa desperately needs to find another goal king. It can hardly be a coincidence that Bafana have struggled painfully on the global stage since the likes of McCarthy and Shaun Barltett left the scene.
Katlego Mphela did his best, but only fired in patches, and his legs now look gone.
The Bafana coach who was Mphela’s closest ally, Pitso Mosimane is also gone. And so, now, is his successor, Gordon Igesund, as Safa sack coaches with aplomb, possibly the only thing they do with aplomb.
The man left to try and lead Bafana to the 2015 African Nations Cup is Ephraim ‘Shakes’ Mashaba, who was instrumental in the development of a young Benni McCarthy.
Can ‘Shakes’ help find a new goal-getting king, to fire Bafana all the way to Morocco? With the top goalscorer in the Absa Premiership netting only ten times last season, Mashaba certainly has his work cut out.
Yet there has been some promise in the early stages of the new season. Kermit Erasmus is erratic at best, but perhaps he can realise his potential, and he does have a goal and an assist in Orlando Pirates’ opening three games of the season.
The Bucs now travel to Wits on Sunday in the MTN8 semifinal, first leg, with the Students a side Kermit netted twice against in last season’s Nedbank Cup final.
Or what of a wildcard like Ndumiso Mabena? The 27 year-old was deemed surplus to requirements by Orlando Pirates this season, but has scored three in three for Platinum Stars.
He could further enhance his credentials against Kaizer Chiefs in their MTN8 semifinal, first leg on Saturday in Phokeng.
Mashaba, meanwhile, is away with Amajita, the South Africa under-20 side who take on Cameroon on Saturday in an African Youth Championships qualifier in Yaounde.
Could a gem be found there to be fast-tracked into Bafana? It is getting that desperate.
Source : citizen.co.za
