McCarthy says bye-bye to Bafana Bafana
Written by Daniel Turner, Wednesday June 02 2010
Benni McCarthy became a hero in South Africa when he scored their first World Cup goal in a match against Denmark in France in 1998. The 32 year old West Ham striker will not have the opportunity to provide another magic moment for the national team known as Bafana Bafana. On June 1 Coach Carlos Alberto Parreira announced McCarthy had been dropped from the team.
McCarthy was already undergoing criticism for being unfit and overweight in matches leading to the announcing of the Cup side. After scoring 32 goals in 78 international matches McCarthy had retired from the team after 2004. Yesterday’s cut from the squad all but insures that McCarthy’s international career is at an end.
Parreira attempted to remain as upbeat as possible regarding the dismissal of McCarthy and five other players. He stated they should hold their heads high; they deserved to be part of the team, but FIFA rules dictates that only 23 players are eligible for the side.
McCarthy said he was grateful for an opportunity to try for the squad and thankful he had capped for South Africa during his career. He felt that the decision to make the final cuts had to be difficult for Parreira.
South Africa begin their World Cup campaign against Mexico on June 11 when they open the tournament. Their Group A pool also includes France and Uruguay making it a difficult proposition for the hosts to avoid an early exit. In fact, pressure is mounting on them to avoid becoming the first host team to be sent packing in the first round.
Regarding the 23 remaining players Parreira stated their mission is to make their country proud and meet the goal of going as far into the Cup competition as possible.
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