Has Benni McCarthy found AmaZulu’s replacement for Siyethemba Sithebe?

AmaZulu coach Benni McCarthy has earmarked new signing Abubaker Mobara to fill the void in midfield left by Kaizer Chiefs-bound Siyethemba Sithebe.

READ | CHIEFS VS PSL: WORST-CASE SCENARIO COULD SEE AMAKHOSI LOSE CRUCIAL POINTS

Mobara, who has played for Cape Town City FC and Orlando Pirates in the past, joined Usuthu from the Citizens a fortnight ago.

The 27-year-old Ajax Cape Town youth academy product is a utility player, able to play at centre-back, right-back or in central midfield and played under McCarthy when he was in charge of the Citizens.

READ | AMAZULU STILL PURSUING CHIEFS, SITHEBE COMPLAINT – REPORT

And McCarthy has hinted that he believes Mobara’s best position is in the centre of the park and views him as an ideal replacement for Sithebe, who has been frozen out and is set to join Amakhosi at the end of the current season.

‘One door closes, another opens’ – Benni McCarthy

“Well, we’re losing Sithebe to Chiefs. He’s a midfielder and so it opens up a nice space for Mobara,” Benni McCarthy told TimesLIVE.

“I know he’s [Mobara] a right-back, he’s good at right-back. But in that position we have [Thembela] Sikhakhane, [Mbongeni] ‘Shoes’ Gumede and Kgotso Moleko and so competition is good there.

“But in midfield I think you want to dominate, you want to dictate matches and Mobara has that intelligence.

“He’s got the skills, work ethic and he’s got the intelligence to play in that role. So one door closes with Sithebe and with Mobara one opens.”

AmaZulu will next be in action in their first CAF Champions League group stage match away against Moroccan giants Raja Casablanca at the Stade Mohammed V on Saturday, 12 February.

Kick-off is at 21:00 SA time.

READ | FORMER PIRATES, CHIEFS STRIKER MKHIZE: ALCOHOL ‘DESTROYED’ MY LIFE, CAREER