 Zambia National Team Skipper Christopher Katongo has lashed out at South Africa’s Bafana Bafana leading striker, Benni McCarthy, for his unsporting behaviour.
In a recent interview with a local South African tabloid obtained by ZANIS sports,
Katongo advised McCarthy to start leading by example to other African footballers as
he plays in the ‘ big’ English league where many fans and players see him.
” Well Benni should start playing leading by example because he plays in a big
English league, where many players and fans see him,” he said.
The Zambian Skipper who plays Brandy IF football club in Denmark said during the
qualifying match McCarthy bragged to Zambian plays that they are nothing as they
cannot compare toi how much money he has made.
” Bennie was saying to our players ‘ who are you? I’ve got a lot of money than you.’
If Bennie has a lot of money , he should keep it to himself,” Katongo told the
newspaper.
He said Bennie became frustrated as things were not going well for Bafana Bafana
saying despite this, he was out of order to say what he said about the Zambian
players.
He urged Bennie to play football and not to tell people about his money saying he (
Bennie) might lose the respect from most Zambiansif he contnued saying ,’ things
like that.’
Bennie’s action to drag a Zambian player after being red carded for a second yellow
card brought the match to a halt as it attracted reaction from Zambian players.
Katongo scored a hattrick with in 21 minutes of the first half against South Africa
a defeat described by Bafana Bafana coach Alberto Carlos as the waste defeat in his
21 years of coaching career.
The Zambian skipper who attributed Zambia’s shock defeat of South Africa at their
home turf to team work also took a swipe at the lewd comments by Television
commentators during the match.
He said despite the uinfavourable comments made on the Zambian players, the
chipolopolo boys overcame all odds to win the match.
” We proved our our point on the field, not by talking too much. I always say that
talk is cheap,’ Katongo said.
And Zambian defender Billy Mwanza supported Katongo’s sentiments saying as he was
marking the South African striker he was being told about his (Bennie ) money.
Mwanza alleged that Bennie continued insulting Zambians through out the match.
” I guess it was due to frustrations because I was marking him tightly. Bennie is a
great player, but what he was saying reflects badly on him, ” said the Zambian
defender.
Benni is one of these players without brains, he will be Mr. Nothing when he retires. Right now he is being milked by all his girlfriends. He is nothing but a streetboy
What do you expect of someone from a gangue ravaged Cape Flats. This Benni was nobody but a teen gangster before football did him some good. Hence his behaviour. You just have to forgive some people like that. His background is terrible just like most SA players. May he be forgiven.
Well done guys. You did Zed a lot of pride, much more than the money this guy was boasting about. You really put a smile on our faces. At least for sometime we were able to forget about all the negative things we hear day in day out in Zed. You gave as a peace state of mind we have never had for a long time. Bravo guys…
Benni may not just lose the “respect” by his childish behavior, he will certainly lose the money itself if he continues being foolish and childish.
Viva good sportsmanship
Benni is a typical gangster from crime infested Hanover Park in Cape Flats and you do not expect him to do better than what he did. The saying goes “you can take a man from the bush but you will never take the bush from him”. This applies to the Prima donna of SA football.
Getting a well-behaved McCarthy is like asking getting the sun to set to the east.
Just look at his battles with SAFA. He came out and said that he was playing for the coach and not SAFA.
He is a senseless boy who was saved from a life of gangsterism by soccer.
What do you expect from a guy who once told his National Team coach that the money he gets from playing for his country was just enough to buy food for his dogs. i guess he couldnt handle the frustration of losing a mactch in front of his home gehtto fans!
poor Benni. The chap has put on alot of callories.
The old man is so indiscplined, typical of South African players, very soon he will run coming to play in south africa as is the case with many of the players. Did his money win the match againsy Zambia.? Age is not on his side either. To hell Beni. We have seen it all.wait.
Most SA fans prefer Zuma to Benni. Age is catching up with him and I do not think he will last for the next 2 years in Europe. Come CAN 2008 he is going to meet far much better African players playing abroad and he will ba ashamed of his pomposity.
This topic was supposed to come after the game.
It came immediately after the game Ba Jonze in case you missed it.Check the Archives.It’s just that guys are pissed off by this kind of behavior though Lusaka Times have brought the story now, the guys on the blog had the story already.
Ba Lusaka Times namwe chizungu. Is this what the Zambian schools are teaching nowadays? For example worst and waste are too different words that cant be mixed up. Yaba!
English please ba Lusaka times be careful a South African is just laughing at me now!!!!!!
Yashani notucisungu? Umusunga nga afaula icibemba tamumuseka, ala nika second language, muletwelelako twasebana akale. Chopolopolo guys keep it up.
English should not be an issue here. Lets talk about the issue Lusaka Times has brought about. Probably it was an error on the part of the author. Yashani guys