Clive Barker hails Benni McCarthy: AmaZulu are ‘in it to win it’!

Clive Barker believes Benni McCarthy’s AmaZulu side have the ability to go all the way in this season’s CAF Champions League.

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McCarthy’s Usuthu side will compete in the group stages of this year’s continental competition for the first time in their history.

McCarthy, who played for Ajax Cape Town, Blackburn Rovers and Orlando Pirates among other clubs during his career, won the UEFA Champions League under Jose Mourinho at Porto in Portugal.

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In his short time as a coach, Benni McCarthy has won the MTN8 trophy with Cape Town City and led AmaZulu to second place in last season’s DStv Premiership.

Former Bafana Bafana coach Clive Barker feels that McCarthy in on the way to “emulating” his achievements as a player.

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Barker told Kickoff: “Yes he is, he was a great player and now he is emulating that as a first-class coach.

“Benni is a local boy we need to respect him, he always gets the results and you can’t take his achievements away from him.

“It helps a lot, having played for names such as Jose Mourinho and in the Premier League. Also because of the goals he scored in his career, players can easily relate to him hence at the moment he is on top of his game.”

Barker added: “They are in it to win it. They’ve got the ability to win it. They do have a team capable of doing it.”

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In terms of the group stage draw for the CAF Champions League, AmaZulu have been placed in Pot 4 alongside Al Merrikh (Sudan), Sagrada Esperanca (Angola) and Jwaneng Galaxy (Botswana).

They will be drawn against one team from Pots 1, 2 and 3 – and could end up facing Al Ahly and Mamelodi Sundowns!

The date for the draw hasn’t been confirmed, but is expected to he held in either December or January 2022.

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