Benni involved in shocking post-game brawl
Footage has emerged of Cape Town City head coach Benni McCarthy involved in a shocking brawl in the players’ tunnel after a heated Maritzburg United clash on Saturday.
During a feisty 3-2 win for the Citizens at Athlone Stadium, footage of an earlier incident showed McCarthy and a member of the Maritzburg United staff getting into a heated exchange.
The former Bafana Bafana striker can be seen shoving the staff member before motioning that they would finish what they had started in the tunnel after the final whistle.
McCarthy was believed to be outraged by rough tackles on his players from their opponents, leading to him retaliating against the Maritzburg bench.
Further footage has now sensationally shown that McCarthy kept true to his word with players and both sets of coaching staff being involved in a physical altercation.
McCarthy can be seen physically pushing a Maritzburg staff member before being held back and escorted out of the tunnel by CT City players and staff.
McCarthy played down the incident while claiming that he was unaware of what caused the fracas.
“I genuinely don’t know. I don’t know how it was that he [De Reuck] got a red card because I was giving instructions to my players. We had our backs against the wall after their second goal.
“The ball was going out and they were fetching it [quickly]. You know if you are winning and the ball goes out‚ you stroll over‚ you don’t want the one thrown to you [by the ball boys]‚ you want the exact one that went out.
“If you are on the losing side you chase everything. The ball came to our side and rolled past me. I could have stopped it‚ but I have got white sneakers and I’m not going to get my sneakers dirty to stop the ball for them!
“So the ball rolled past me and I’m shouting instructions to [Ebrahim] Seedat‚ telling him to tuck inside a little bit. Then I just saw the commotion‚ I honestly didn’t see what happened.
“When I looked it was Matthew [Rusike]‚ our bench … because their players were coming. I genuinely don’t know what the cause was‚ if someone didn’t give the ball or kicked the ball away.
“Then [Rushine] De Reuck pushed my coach Rayaan and that’s when … obviously the players are getting involved then. But I am just defusing‚ this time I was not in the middle.
“They say‚ ‘let’s bully them’‚ they think we are pushovers … we’ll show them who is pushovers.”
Maritzburg head coach, Eric Tinkler, had a different version of events while blaming the referee for losing control of the game in the dying stages.
“The ball goes out for a throw-in and our player [De Reuck] goes to fetch the ball. The City player‚ [Matthew] Rusike‚ throws the ball away and it is only normal‚ out of frustration‚ that he is going to push the guy. It’s only normal.
“What does it lead to? My player getting a second yellow card and sent-off. Did Rusike get a card? No. Then you’ve got the analyst [Jacobs] also coming and tripping and pulling my player over.
“It’s shocking. We need to be more protected in those areas. I was disappointed with what happened there with the officiating. He [Qongqo] lost control of the game.” – News24.
