WATCH: Benni McCarthy’s stinging touchline tirade aimed at Kaitano Tembo sparks sustained Twitter trend

By Herman Gibbs | IOL Sport |

Hours after AmaZulu versus SuperSport United DStv Premiership ended at Jonsson Kings Park Stadium in Durban on Tuesday evening, Benni McCarthy was trending on the social media platform Twitter after an extraordinary verbal attack on Kaitano Tembo.

The match, rather physical at times, ended in a goalless draw after both teams finished with 10 men.

Television footage does not reveal what led to the unforgiving verbal barbs that AmaZulu coach McCarthy aimed at his opposite number coach Kaitano Tembo, during the match.

The television crew at the venue captured the shocking outburst, which included an unrepeatable turn of phrase. It prompted match commentator Mark Gleeson to call for the volume on microphones to be turned down.

“You have lost every bit of respect I had for you. That is why you are always broke,” McCarthy shouted. “Your career – Seven Stars, Ajax – no, listen, you wanna get deep, I’ll get deep with you.

“You call me a c$*t!?”

At no stage was there any footage showing Tembo interacting verbally with McCarthy. The two former players would have known each other while playing for the clubs Seven Stars and later Ajax Cape Town, both Western Cape-based teams.

McCarthy also waged a stinging attack on match officials in the post-match interviews but it was reduced to a sideshow as more and more people weighed in the touchline tirade on social media platforms long after the game ended.

He also remarked on the attitude of South African players.

“It was a very physical game which I think went a little bit over physical because the referee could not control the game,” said McCarthy.

“It was one-way traffic – everything was going in favour of the one team. I think frustrations grew a little bit in the game, and tackles went flying in.”

Referee Thando Ndzandzeka red-carded AmaZulu defender Tercious Malepe near the end of the match. He also felt a SuperSport player had fooled the ref, and that resulted in the red card.

“I thought it was a clean challenge, a clean tackle from Tercious, who won the ball and did not even touch the opponent,” said McCarthy.

“Yes, that is the mentality our South African players have these days. Then they wonder why they underachieve, why they are mediocre.

“It is because that is their behaviour when you want to get opposition players sent off by diving and rolling over like his leg was broken, and they didn’t even touch him, and the referee falls for it.

“The fourth official sees it right there, and he’s been speaking to the referee the whole time in his earpiece.

“With 10 men, I think we showed heart, we showed determination, we showed grit, we showed character to stay in the game and not allow them to create one chance to go on and win the game.”

It has been a miserable start to the season for McCarthy, who has been unable to steer his charges to a win after five games.

You have lost every bit of respect I had for you. That’s why you are broke,” McCarthy heard yelling at Kaitano Tembo pic.twitter.com/6wzFta9pho

— 🎤 Host Space Footy Tweeps 🇿🇦 (@Footy_Vlog) September 15, 2021