McCarthy Praises Locally Based Bafana Squad Ahead Of AFCON
Bafana Bafana all-time leading goalscorer Benni McCarthy says he is proud of how the national team has risen to prominence with a core of locally based players, something that was not the case during his playing days.
Bafana Bafana departed South Africa for Morocco on Wednesday ahead of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), which gets underway in the North African country on Monday.
Hugo Broos’ side is widely tipped as one of the teams to watch after finishing third at the previous AFCON in Ivory Coast last year, where they claimed a bronze medal.
South Africa will open their Group B campaign against Angola in Marrakech on Monday, aiming for a stronger start than at the last tournament, where they lost their opening match to Mali.
“As someone who played for Bafana Bafana and still holds several records for the country, what makes me proud is that this national team is built mainly from local players in South Africa,” said McCarthy, who scored 31 goals in 80 appearances for the national team, on Sporty TV in Kenya.
“It shows how much the South African league has progressed. The league is competitive, strong, and of good quality, with most of the players based at home.
“When these players step onto the international stage, they are able to raise their level and match themselves against top international teams.”
McCarthy, who is currently the head coach of the Kenyan national team, added that South Africa’s model could serve as an example for other African countries.
“You would hope that Kenya can take what South Africa is doing well and apply it to our own system — to make our league more competitive so we can also improve both locally and internationally,” he said.
McCarthy was part of the Bafana Bafana squad that reached the AFCON final in 1998 in Burkina Faso, narrowly missing out on defending the title they had won in 1996 after losing to Egypt.
At that tournament, McCarthy shared the Golden Boot with Egypt legend Hossam Hassan, after both players scored seven goals.
At AFCON 2025, Bafana Bafana will again face Hassan’s Egypt in Group B on 26 December, before concluding their group-stage campaign against Zimbabwe on 29 December.
In addition to qualifying for AFCON for the second consecutive time under Broos, South Africa also secured qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
However, the qualification campaign ended on a tense note after Zimbabwe held Bafana Bafana to a draw in Durban in their penultimate match.
South Africa eventually benefited from Nigeria’s victory over Benin, which ensured they finished top of the group and qualified automatically after defeating Rwanda in their final fixture.
McCarthy, the first South African to score at a FIFA World Cup finals — achieving the feat in 1998 against Denmark — admitted it was an anxious experience watching events unfold from his home in the United Kingdom.
“I was at home in the UK, constantly checking my phone and keeping a close eye on what was happening,” McCarthy said.
“The last time Bafana Bafana qualified for the World Cup in 2002, I was part of that team. It’s been a long time, so I was really rooting for them.
“If South Africa had won but Benin had beaten Nigeria, we would still have been out, so I was hoping Nigeria would do the job.”
He added: “I don’t understand the unnecessary rivalry between South Africa and Nigeria. We used to be close and supportive of each other, but I was pleased Nigeria beat Benin because it opened the door for us to qualify for the World Cup.”
