Bafana Bafana legend Benni McCarthy still feels heartbroken that he was denied a chance to play at a World Cup at home by former coach Carlos Alberto Parreira.
McCarthy was South Africa’s leading striker heading to the 2010 World Cup, which the country hosted, a first in Africa, but he was surprisingly dropped from the squad by Parreira who is said to have insisted that the forward was overweight.
The striker had just returned from an injury at his new club West Ham, where he stayed out for six weeks after getting injured on his debut in February 2010, and heading to the World Cup, the Brazilian coach did not deem him fit enough hence his exclusion.
Benni regrets missing home World Cup
“One of the regrets that I have is that I was never able to play in a World Cup that was hosted in my country because I know I moved clubs and I kind of got an injury,” McCarthy told Sporty TV.
“So, I came back from my injury and at that time, they said I wasn’t fit enough but I think the experience that I had at that time and the teams that I played for compared to the players that we had in the South Africa national team, we could have done with having someone like myself around the players.”
McCarthy feels it was a wrong decision from Parreira to omit him as he believes even though he was not 100 percent fit, he was still better than some of the players in the squad.
“When it comes to games when looking to grind out a result like they did against Mexico in the opening game, then you think experience counts and I think we were just a little bit inexperienced,” he added.
Did Parreira blunder by snubbing McCarthy?
“So, I think the manager made a massive mistake by not including me in the squad but his view was that he selected a player that was fitter, younger that he thought could give the national team an edge instead of a player who has just come back from injury and was not fully fit and he did not know what he was going to get from me.”
Bafana Bafana’s leading scorer, who managed 31 goals in 15 years between 1997 and 2012, is still heartbroken over his omission to date, saying South Africa missed a great opportunity.
“I think the way I know myself when you play in a World Cup in your country as much as I just came back from injury not too long ago, I would have shredded blood for my country because I would have loved them to succeed and do the best I possibly can because it was a World Cup on African soil and in South Africa so for that, I am a bit heartbroken because I was never included in the squad,” said McCarthy.
McCarthy had featured at the 1998 and 2002 World Cups with Bafana Bafana but had to watch from home as South Africa were eliminated at the group stage in 2010 after a 1-1 draw with Mexico, 3-0 loss to Uruguay and a 2-1 victory against France.
