Benni McCarthy
Encyclopedia
Benedict Saul "Benni" McCarthy (born 12 November 1977) is a South African footballer who is currently contracted to Orlando Pirates in South Africa.
McCarthy holds the record of international goals for a South African. He is the Bafana Bafanas all-time top-scorer with 31 goals.
and grew up in Hanover Park on the Cape Flats
, an area notorious for its high unemployment rate and gang violence. He is the son of Dudley and Dora McCarthy and has two brothers and a sister. His older brother is Jerome McCarthy, a former professional footballer who played for Kaizer Chiefs and Manning Rangers
among other clubs,while his younger brother Mark played football at Franklin Pierce University in the United States.
McCarthy started playing at a local side called Young Pirates which was managed by his uncles. He then joined the youth structures of a local amateur club called Crusaders. At age 17, he was signed by 1st division club Seven Stars. He is managed by ExtraTime S.L.
feeder team Ajax Cape Town.
In 1997, after an impressive showing at the African Youth Championship
and FIFA World Youth Championship in Malaysia
, he joined the Dutch side, where he scored 9 goals and was crowned champion in his first season. After a relatively successful 1998–99 season he was sold to Spanish side Celta Vigo for a sum reported to be over €6m, at the time the most expensive transfer for a South African player.
At Porto he played under the then newly-appointed coach José Mourinho
for an underperforming team that had never been quite good enough to challenge for the top honours in Europe. However, that would soon change.
After representing Bafana Bafana in the 2002 African Nations Cup, his national side were knocked out in the quarter-finals, McCarthy returned to Porto where he became the main force behind the team's recovery. He helped them to third place in the league and automatic qualification for the UEFA Cup
by scoring an impressive 12 goals in only 11 matches, but Porto's finances did not allow them to keep the player, despite the desire of both sides to continue.
So, in 2002–03 Mccarthy returned to Celta Vigo where he spent a lot of time on the bench as squad player while Porto captured the League Cup in Portugal and the UEFA Cup. When former teammate Hélder Postiga
was sold to English side Tottenham Hotspur
in the 2003–04 season, Porto finally acquired McCarthy for a sum of €7.856 million, (later re-sold part of the rights to GestiFute
and First Portuguese Football Players Fund
.)
players. He grabbed the Golden Boot award (with 20 goals in 23 games) on the final day with a terrific hat-trick
, and was instrumental in Porto's superb run in the 2004 UEFA Champions League
, which they won. Notably, he was responsible for scoring two goals against Manchester United
to defeat them in the second round.
When José Mourinho
left and was (shortly) replaced by Italian coach Luigi Delneri, McCarthy considered leaving for the FA Premier League
, but the two years left in his contract posed a problem. When the Italian coach was fired and replaced by his former Celta coach Fernandez (of whom he said he would rather quit playing than be coached by again) he tried to pressure Porto to sell him to Everton
, who needed a replacement for Wayne Rooney
.
Porto refused to sell and despite Fernandez praising McCarthy and describing him as a world class striker, rumours continued to rage about which Premiership
club McCarthy would move to, with West Ham United
and Blackburn Rovers
being mooted as possible destinations. Blackburn Rovers
were in talks with Porto but could not agree a fee. However, he stayed with the club and was rewarded with winning another Portuguese national championship with FC Porto in the 2005–06 season.
After a disappointing performance in the side's 3–0 defeat to Portsmouth, McCarthy found the net on his debut at Ewood Park against Everton on 23 August 2006. McCarthy further endeared himself to Rovers fans, scoring a goal on his European debut for the club in a 2–2 against Salzburg in the UEFA Cup, and scoring another in the return leg. He finished second top scorer in the Premiership in 2006–07 with 18 league goals (24 goals in total).
The following season got off to a bad start for McCarthy when he was stretchered off in the opening day win against Middlesbrough. Benni was out of action for a few weeks and found first team opportunities limited, largely because the form of new striking arrival Roque Santa Cruz. Despite being limited to largely substitute appearances, McCarthy did find the net a total of eleven times in all competitions.
In the 2008–09 season McCarthy appeared to be out of favour with new manager Paul Ince, as the club's strike force was strengthened with the arrivals of Carlos Villanueva and Robbie Fowler to join the already established Roque Santa Cruz, Jason Roberts and Matt Derbyshire. However, he answered these critics by scoring his first goal of the campaign – a 94th minute equalizer in a Premier League match against Middlesbrough.
In all competitions, for Blackburn Rovers, McCarthy scored a total of 52 goals in 140 matches.
at Turf Moor
in a 2–1 defeat on 6 February 2010 where he sustained an injury that would keep him out for six weeks. In February 2011 having played just 326 minutes of football, making only three starts and failing to score any goals for West Ham, McCarthy was left out of West Ham's 25-man squad for the rest of the 2010–11 season. He was also offered a £1 million pay-off in return for tearing up his contract. In April 2011 McCarthy left West Ham by mutual agreement, with a £1.5million pay-off, after agreeing to terminate his contract with West Ham.
He made only two Premier League starts and fourteen appearances in all competitions scoring no goals.
off-season. On 2 August Orlando Pirates confirmed the signing of McCarthy on a two-year deal ending his fourteen-year spell in European football. On signing McCarthy said, "I'm thrilled and delighted and hope I can show my appreciation by coming in and playing good football and hope to score as many goals as possible to put the team where they belong".
McCarthy began the season by scoring on debut and vowed to score more goals.
on 4 June 1997.
Along with veteran Egyptian Striker Hossam Hassan, McCarthy was the joint top scorer in the 1998 African Cup of Nations
in Burkina Faso with seven goals, including four in 13 minutes against Namibia.
The 1998 FIFA World Cup
in France was the first time South Africa's national football team had reached the later stages of the competition and McCarthy (then at Ajax) was one of their key players. After a 3–0 defeat against future World Champions France
, South Africa played their second game against Denmark
. Trailing since the 13th minute, McCarthy tied the game at 1–1 in the 52nd minute and giving South Africa a chance for qualification. However, the third game also ended a draw (against Saudi Arabia
), which left the South Africans in third place and eliminated from the competition.
The Korea/Japan World Cup
saw history repeating for the South Africans. After a 2–2 draw against Paraguay
and a 1–0 victory over the Slovenians
, McCarthy's 30th minute equalizer in the last game against Spain
was just not enough. South Africa eventually lost 3–2 and finished with another third place in the group stage.
There was often conflict over McCarthy's lack of participation in national team matches (whose interests often collide with his club's) and he actually retired from international games after the 2002 World Cup. However, he returned to the national team in 2004 and now holds the record of international goals for a South African. McCarthy scored in the second half of a 3–0 win against Paraguay
in an international friendly. This strike eclipsed the previous record of 29 goals held by Shaun Bartlett
.
Prior to the 2010 FIFA World Cup
McCarthy announced his support for the Gun-Free World Cup campaign being run by International Action Network on Small Arms
. He said: "This World Cup will be the biggest in football history and the fact that it is taking place in South Africa is a chance for us to show the world everything that is good about our country. It’s great that guns will be banned from stadiums – it’s going to be a fantastic party, and guns have no place in that."
After struggling with his fitness and facing criticism at home for being overweight,
McCarthy was omitted from the final South African 23 man squad for the 2010 World Cup which was announced on 1 June 2010.
music group TKZee
in "Shibobo
". The song released in the run-up to the 1998 FIFA World Cup
in France samples greatly on "The Final Countdown
" by Europe
and features Benni McCarthy rapping part of the lyrics. He also appears in the football-themed music video for the song. Sales of the single topped the 100,000 mark in just over a month in South Africa, making "Shibobo" the fastest and biggest selling CD single by TKZee or other South African recording artists. The song was also a hit in other African music charts. The song is enjoying a comeback in a re-release in 2010–2011.
McCarthy holds the record of international goals for a South African. He is the Bafana Bafanas all-time top-scorer with 31 goals.
Early life
Benni McCarthy was born in Cape TownCape Town
Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...
and grew up in Hanover Park on the Cape Flats
Cape Flats
The Cape Flats is an expansive, low-lying, flat area situated to the southeast of the central business district of Cape Town. To many people in Cape Town, the area is known simply as 'The Flats'....
, an area notorious for its high unemployment rate and gang violence. He is the son of Dudley and Dora McCarthy and has two brothers and a sister. His older brother is Jerome McCarthy, a former professional footballer who played for Kaizer Chiefs and Manning Rangers
Manning Rangers
Manning Rangers is a defunct South African football club formerly based in Durban and probably best remembered as the champions of the inaugural season of the Premier Soccer League...
among other clubs,while his younger brother Mark played football at Franklin Pierce University in the United States.
McCarthy started playing at a local side called Young Pirates which was managed by his uncles. He then joined the youth structures of a local amateur club called Crusaders. At age 17, he was signed by 1st division club Seven Stars. He is managed by ExtraTime S.L.
Rob Moore (South African Entrepreneur)
Rob Moore is a South African entrepreneur, who founded Touchline Media and ExtraTime S.L. Moore currently heads the ExtraTime S.L, founded in 2003...
Seven Stars and Ajax
Playing for Seven Stars, the 18-year old McCarthy scored 1 goal in 29 games in the 1995–96 season, followed by another 12 goals in 20 matches, which earned him a transfer to Cape Town Spurs which two years later merged with Seven Stars to form Ajax AmsterdamAjax Amsterdam
Amsterdamsche Football Club Ajax , also referred to as AFC Ajax, Ajax Amsterdam or simply Ajax , is a professional football club from Amsterdam, Netherlands...
feeder team Ajax Cape Town.
In 1997, after an impressive showing at the African Youth Championship
African Youth Championship
The African Youth Championship is the main international youth football competition for CAF nations, and is competed for by under 20 year olds...
and FIFA World Youth Championship in Malaysia
1997 FIFA World Youth Championship
The 1997 FIFA World Youth Championship was the 11th staging of the FIFA World Youth Championship. It was held from June 16 to July 5, 1997 in Malaysia.-Venues:-Qualification:The following 24 teams qualified for the 1997 FIFA World Youth Championship...
, he joined the Dutch side, where he scored 9 goals and was crowned champion in his first season. After a relatively successful 1998–99 season he was sold to Spanish side Celta Vigo for a sum reported to be over €6m, at the time the most expensive transfer for a South African player.
Celta Vigo
Although regarded as one of the best African players at the time, McCarthy never established himself as a regular choice for Celta Vigo's manager, Víctor Fernández. After two poor seasons at the Galician club, he was loaned to struggling FC Porto in the 2001–02 season where he soon rediscovered the form that took him to Europe.At Porto he played under the then newly-appointed coach José Mourinho
José Mourinho
José Mário dos Santos Félix Mourinho is a Portuguese football manager and the current manager of Real Madrid. He is commonly known as "The Special One".Mourinho is regarded by some players, coaches and critics as the best ever coach in football....
for an underperforming team that had never been quite good enough to challenge for the top honours in Europe. However, that would soon change.
After representing Bafana Bafana in the 2002 African Nations Cup, his national side were knocked out in the quarter-finals, McCarthy returned to Porto where he became the main force behind the team's recovery. He helped them to third place in the league and automatic qualification for the UEFA Cup
UEFA Cup
The UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League...
by scoring an impressive 12 goals in only 11 matches, but Porto's finances did not allow them to keep the player, despite the desire of both sides to continue.
So, in 2002–03 Mccarthy returned to Celta Vigo where he spent a lot of time on the bench as squad player while Porto captured the League Cup in Portugal and the UEFA Cup. When former teammate Hélder Postiga
Hélder Postiga
Hélder Manuel Marques Postiga is a Portuguese footballer who plays for Real Zaragoza in Spain, as a striker.After starting professionally at Porto, Postiga went on to have spells in England , France and Greece , before returning to his country with Sporting.A Portuguese international on more than...
was sold to English side Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham Hotspur F.C.
Tottenham Hotspur Football Club , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English Premier League football club based in Tottenham, north London. The club's home stadium is White Hart Lane....
in the 2003–04 season, Porto finally acquired McCarthy for a sum of €7.856 million, (later re-sold part of the rights to GestiFute
GestiFute
GestiFute full name Gestão de Carreiras de Profissionais Desportivos S.A. is a Portuguese company. It provides agent services for footballers...
and First Portuguese Football Players Fund
First Portuguese Football Players Fund
First Portuguese Football Players Fund was a investment fund dedicated for football. Unlike Serie A and Premier League, third-party ownership is allowed in Portugal. Clubs sold part of the economic rights of their current players to the fund for cash to re-invest on new signing. Clubs also...
.)
Porto
On his return, McCarthy not only found club morale was at its highest for years, but that Porto now had a highly organized team with some of the best PortuguesePortuguese people
The Portuguese are a nation and ethnic group native to the country of Portugal, in the west of the Iberian peninsula of south-west Europe. Their language is Portuguese, and Roman Catholicism is the predominant religion....
players. He grabbed the Golden Boot award (with 20 goals in 23 games) on the final day with a terrific hat-trick
Hat-trick
A hat-trick or hat trick in sport is the achievement of a positive feat three times during a game, or other achievements based on threes. The term was first used in 1858 in cricket to describe HH Stephenson's feat of taking three wickets in three balls. A collection was held for Stephenson, and he...
, and was instrumental in Porto's superb run in the 2004 UEFA Champions League
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
, which they won. Notably, he was responsible for scoring two goals against Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
to defeat them in the second round.
When José Mourinho
José Mourinho
José Mário dos Santos Félix Mourinho is a Portuguese football manager and the current manager of Real Madrid. He is commonly known as "The Special One".Mourinho is regarded by some players, coaches and critics as the best ever coach in football....
left and was (shortly) replaced by Italian coach Luigi Delneri, McCarthy considered leaving for the FA Premier League
FA Premier League
The Premier League is an English professional league for association football clubs. At the top of the English football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with The Football League. The Premier...
, but the two years left in his contract posed a problem. When the Italian coach was fired and replaced by his former Celta coach Fernandez (of whom he said he would rather quit playing than be coached by again) he tried to pressure Porto to sell him to Everton
Everton F.C.
Everton Football Club are an English professional association football club from the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football...
, who needed a replacement for Wayne Rooney
Wayne Rooney
Wayne Mark Rooney is an English footballer who plays as a striker for Premier League club Manchester United and the England national team...
.
Porto refused to sell and despite Fernandez praising McCarthy and describing him as a world class striker, rumours continued to rage about which Premiership
FA Premier League
The Premier League is an English professional league for association football clubs. At the top of the English football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with The Football League. The Premier...
club McCarthy would move to, with West Ham United
West Ham United F.C.
West Ham United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Upton Park, Newham, East London. They play in The Football League Championship. The club was founded in 1895 as Thames Ironworks FC and reformed in 1900 as West Ham United. In 1904 the club relocated to their current...
and Blackburn Rovers
Blackburn Rovers F.C.
Blackburn Rovers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the town of Blackburn, Lancashire. The team currently competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football....
being mooted as possible destinations. Blackburn Rovers
Blackburn Rovers F.C.
Blackburn Rovers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the town of Blackburn, Lancashire. The team currently competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football....
were in talks with Porto but could not agree a fee. However, he stayed with the club and was rewarded with winning another Portuguese national championship with FC Porto in the 2005–06 season.
Blackburn Rovers
On 25 July 2006, McCarthy flew out to England to undergo a medical and probable contract signing to join Blackburn Rovers and, three days later, signed a four year contract with Blackburn Rovers for a £2.5m fee.After a disappointing performance in the side's 3–0 defeat to Portsmouth, McCarthy found the net on his debut at Ewood Park against Everton on 23 August 2006. McCarthy further endeared himself to Rovers fans, scoring a goal on his European debut for the club in a 2–2 against Salzburg in the UEFA Cup, and scoring another in the return leg. He finished second top scorer in the Premiership in 2006–07 with 18 league goals (24 goals in total).
The following season got off to a bad start for McCarthy when he was stretchered off in the opening day win against Middlesbrough. Benni was out of action for a few weeks and found first team opportunities limited, largely because the form of new striking arrival Roque Santa Cruz. Despite being limited to largely substitute appearances, McCarthy did find the net a total of eleven times in all competitions.
In the 2008–09 season McCarthy appeared to be out of favour with new manager Paul Ince, as the club's strike force was strengthened with the arrivals of Carlos Villanueva and Robbie Fowler to join the already established Roque Santa Cruz, Jason Roberts and Matt Derbyshire. However, he answered these critics by scoring his first goal of the campaign – a 94th minute equalizer in a Premier League match against Middlesbrough.
In all competitions, for Blackburn Rovers, McCarthy scored a total of 52 goals in 140 matches.
West Ham United
McCarthy completed a move to West Ham United for an undisclosed fee on transfer deadline day, 1 February 2010. He signed a two and a half-year contract that was due to run until the summer of 2012. He made his Premier League debut for West Ham United against BurnleyBurnley F.C.
Burnley Football Club are a professional English Football League club based in Burnley, Lancashire. Nicknamed the Clarets, due to the dominant colour of their home shirts, they were founder members of the Football League in 1888...
at Turf Moor
Turf Moor
Turf Moor is a football stadium in Burnley, Lancashire. It is the home ground of Burnley Football Club, which has played there since moving from its Calder Vale ground in 1883. The stadium, which is situated on Harry Potts Way, named so after the club's longest serving Manager, has a capacity of...
in a 2–1 defeat on 6 February 2010 where he sustained an injury that would keep him out for six weeks. In February 2011 having played just 326 minutes of football, making only three starts and failing to score any goals for West Ham, McCarthy was left out of West Ham's 25-man squad for the rest of the 2010–11 season. He was also offered a £1 million pay-off in return for tearing up his contract. In April 2011 McCarthy left West Ham by mutual agreement, with a £1.5million pay-off, after agreeing to terminate his contract with West Ham.
He made only two Premier League starts and fourteen appearances in all competitions scoring no goals.
Orlando Pirates
After leaving West Ham United McCarthy trained with Ajax Cape town during the South African Soccer LeagueSouth African Soccer League
The South African Soccer League is a former association football league based in South Africa. It was formed in 1961 and folded in 1967. It was established by the South African Soccer Federation which represented the black African, Coloured and Indian population...
off-season. On 2 August Orlando Pirates confirmed the signing of McCarthy on a two-year deal ending his fourteen-year spell in European football. On signing McCarthy said, "I'm thrilled and delighted and hope I can show my appreciation by coming in and playing good football and hope to score as many goals as possible to put the team where they belong".
McCarthy began the season by scoring on debut and vowed to score more goals.
International career
McCarthy made his full international debut in a friendly against the NetherlandsNetherlands national football team
The Netherlands National Football Team represents the Netherlands in association football and is controlled by the Royal Dutch Football Association , the governing body for football in the Netherlands...
on 4 June 1997.
Along with veteran Egyptian Striker Hossam Hassan, McCarthy was the joint top scorer in the 1998 African Cup of Nations
1998 African Cup of Nations
The 1998 African Cup of Nations in Burkina Faso was the 21st edition of the African Cup of Nations , the national football championship of Africa, administered by the Confederation of African Football . Just like in 1996, the field of sixteen teams was split into four groups of four...
in Burkina Faso with seven goals, including four in 13 minutes against Namibia.
The 1998 FIFA World Cup
1998 FIFA World Cup
The 1998 FIFA World Cup, the 16th FIFA World Cup, was held in France from 10 June to 12 July 1998. France was chosen as host nation by FIFA on 2 July 1992. The tournament was won by France, who beat Brazil 3-0 in the final...
in France was the first time South Africa's national football team had reached the later stages of the competition and McCarthy (then at Ajax) was one of their key players. After a 3–0 defeat against future World Champions France
France national football team
The France national football team represents the nation of France in international football. It is fielded by the French Football Federation , the governing body of football in France, and competes as a member of UEFA, which encompasses the countries of Europe...
, South Africa played their second game against Denmark
Denmark national football team
The Denmark national football team represents Denmark in association football and is controlled by the Danish Football Association , the governing body for the football clubs which are organized under DBU...
. Trailing since the 13th minute, McCarthy tied the game at 1–1 in the 52nd minute and giving South Africa a chance for qualification. However, the third game also ended a draw (against Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia national football team
Saudi Arabia national football team is the national team of Saudi Arabia and is controlled by the Saudi Arabia Football Federation...
), which left the South Africans in third place and eliminated from the competition.
The Korea/Japan World Cup
2002 FIFA World Cup
The 2002 FIFA World Cup was the 17th staging of the FIFA World Cup, held in South Korea and Japan from 31 May to 30 June. It was also the first World Cup held in Asia, and the last in which the golden goal rule was implemented. Brazil won the tournament for a record fifth time, beating Germany 2–0...
saw history repeating for the South Africans. After a 2–2 draw against Paraguay
Paraguay national football team
The Paraguay national football team is controlled by the Paraguayan Football Association and represents Paraguay in men's international football competitions. The team has reached the second round of the World Cup on four occasions . The 2010 trip also featured their first appearance in the...
and a 1–0 victory over the Slovenians
Slovenia national football team
The Slovenia national football team is the national football team of Slovenia and is controlled by the Football Association of Slovenia. The team played their first match in 1992 after the split of Yugoslavia in 1991....
, McCarthy's 30th minute equalizer in the last game against Spain
Spain national football team
The Spain national football team represents Spain in international association football and is controlled by the Royal Spanish Football Federation, the governing body for football in Spain. The current head coach is Vicente del Bosque...
was just not enough. South Africa eventually lost 3–2 and finished with another third place in the group stage.
There was often conflict over McCarthy's lack of participation in national team matches (whose interests often collide with his club's) and he actually retired from international games after the 2002 World Cup. However, he returned to the national team in 2004 and now holds the record of international goals for a South African. McCarthy scored in the second half of a 3–0 win against Paraguay
Paraguay national football team
The Paraguay national football team is controlled by the Paraguayan Football Association and represents Paraguay in men's international football competitions. The team has reached the second round of the World Cup on four occasions . The 2010 trip also featured their first appearance in the...
in an international friendly. This strike eclipsed the previous record of 29 goals held by Shaun Bartlett
Shaun Bartlett
Shaun Bartlett is a retired South African football striker who last played for Bloemfontein Celtic.-Early life:...
.
Prior to the 2010 FIFA World Cup
2010 FIFA World Cup
The 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010...
McCarthy announced his support for the Gun-Free World Cup campaign being run by International Action Network on Small Arms
IANSA
The International Action Network on Small Arms is an international non-governmental organization recognized by the United Nations. IANSA is based in London and has over 800 member organizations in 120 countries, working to stop the proliferation and use of small arms and light weapons.- United...
. He said: "This World Cup will be the biggest in football history and the fact that it is taking place in South Africa is a chance for us to show the world everything that is good about our country. It’s great that guns will be banned from stadiums – it’s going to be a fantastic party, and guns have no place in that."
After struggling with his fitness and facing criticism at home for being overweight,
McCarthy was omitted from the final South African 23 man squad for the 2010 World Cup which was announced on 1 June 2010.
Club career statistics
- (correct as of 08:20, 20 December 2010)
| Club | Season | League | Cup | Europe UEFA The Union of European Football Associations , almost always referred to by its acronym UEFA is the administrative and controlling body for European association football, futsal and beach soccer.... |
Total | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Assists | Apps | Goals | Assists | Apps | Goals | Assists | Apps | Goals | Assists | ||
| Ajax Ajax Amsterdam Amsterdamsche Football Club Ajax , also referred to as AFC Ajax, Ajax Amsterdam or simply Ajax , is a professional football club from Amsterdam, Netherlands... |
|||||||||||||
| 1997–98 | 16 | 9 | |||||||||||
| 16 | 9 | ||||||||||||
| 1998–99 | 19 | 11 | |||||||||||
| 19 | 11 | ||||||||||||
| Total | 35 | 20 | 35 | 20 | – | ||||||||
| Celta Vigo | |||||||||||||
| 1999–00 | 31 | 8 | |||||||||||
| 5 | 3 | ||||||||||||
| 36 | 11 | ||||||||||||
| 2000–01 | 19 | 0 | |||||||||||
| 4 | 4 | ||||||||||||
| 23 | 4 | ||||||||||||
| 2001–02 | 2 | 0 | |||||||||||
| 1 | 0 | ||||||||||||
| 1 | 1 | ||||||||||||
| 4 | 1 | ||||||||||||
| 2002–03 | 14 | 2 | |||||||||||
| 5 | 3 | ||||||||||||
| 19 | 5 | ||||||||||||
| Total | 66 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 15 | 11 | 82 | 21 | – | ||||
| F.C. Porto | |||||||||||||
| 2001–02 | 11 | 12 | |||||||||||
| 11 | 12 | ||||||||||||
| 2003–04 | 29 | 19 | |||||||||||
| 12 | 4 | ||||||||||||
| 41 | 23 | ||||||||||||
| 2004–05 | 22 | 11 | |||||||||||
| 9 | 3 | ||||||||||||
| 31 | 14 | ||||||||||||
| 2005–06 | 23 | 3 | |||||||||||
| 1 | 0 | ||||||||||||
| 4 | 1 | ||||||||||||
| 28 | 4 | ||||||||||||
| Total | 85 | 45 | 1 | 0 | 25 | 8 | 111 | 53 | – | ||||
| Blackburn Rovers | |||||||||||||
| 2006–07 | 36 | 18 | 1 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 8 | 3 | 0 | 50 | 24 | 2 | |
| 2007–08 | 31 | 8 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 38 | 11 | 1 | |
| 2008–09 2008–09 in English football The 2008–09 season was the 129th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:* West Bromwich Albion, Stoke City and Hull City were all playing in the Premier League after winning promotion from the Championship last season. Stoke returned to the top flight after a 23-year absence, while... |
28 | 10 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 33 | 13 | 4 | |
| 2009–10 2009–10 in English football The 2009–10 season was the 130th season of competitive football in England.The season began on 8 August 2009 for the Championship, League One and League Two and 15 August 2009 for the Premier League... |
14 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 19 | 4 | 1 | |
| Total | 109 | 37 | 6 | 19 | 10 | 2 | 12 | 5 | 0 | 140 | 52 | 8 | |
| West Ham United | 2009–10 2009–10 in English football The 2009–10 season was the 130th season of competitive football in England.The season began on 8 August 2009 for the Championship, League One and League Two and 15 August 2009 for the Premier League... |
5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| 2010–11 2010–11 in English football The 2010–11 season was the 131st season of competitive football in England.The season began on 6 August 2010 for the Football Leagues, with the Premier League and Football Conference both starting eight days later on 14 August 2010. The Championship, League One, and League Two ended on 7 May... |
6 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 0 | |
| Total | 11 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 0 | 0 | |
| European Career Total | 306 | 112 | 6 | 23 | 10 | 2 | 52 | 24 | 0 | 371 | 146 | 8 | |
International goals
| # | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 16 February 1998 | Stade Omnisport, Bobo-Dioulasso Bobo-Dioulasso Bobo-Dioulasso is a city with a population of about 435,543 , the second largest city in Burkina Faso, Africa, after Ouagadougou, the nation's capital. The name means literally, "home of the Jula who speak Bobo," and is possibly a creation of the French who misunderstood the identity complexities... |
1–0 | 4–1 | 1998 Africa Cup of Nations | |
| 2 | 16 February 1998 | Stade Omnisport, Bobo-Dioulasso | 2–0 | 4–1 | 1998 Africa Cup of Nations | |
| 3 | 16 February 1998 | Stade Omnisport, Bobo-Dioulasso | 3–0 | 4–1 | 1998 Africa Cup of Nations | |
| 4 | 16 February 1998 | Stade Omnisport, Bobo-Dioulasso | 4–0 | 4–1 | 1998 Africa Cup of Nations | |
| 5 | 22 February 1998 | Stade Municipal Stade Municipal (Ouagadougou) Stade Municipal is a multi-use stadium in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. It is currently used mostly for football matches and is the home of Santos Football Club. The stadium holds 15,000 people.... , Ouagadougou Ouagadougou Ouagadougou is the capital of Burkina Faso and the administrative, communications, cultural and economic center of the nation. It is also the country's largest city, with a population of 1,475,223 . The city's name is often shortened to Ouaga. The inhabitants are called ouagalais... |
1–0 | 2–1 | 1998 Africa Cup of Nations | |
| 6 | 25 February 1998 | Stade Municipal, Ouagadougou | 1–0 | 2–1 | 1998 Africa Cup of Nations | |
| 7 | 25 February 1998 | Stade Municipal, Ouagadougou | 2–1 | 2–1 | 1998 Africa Cup of Nations | |
| 8 | 6 June 1998 | Baiersbronn Baiersbronn Baiersbronn is a municipality in the district of Freudenstadt in Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany. It is situated in the Black Forest on the Murg river.Administratively, Baiersbronn consists of the following nine villages:* Baiersbronn* Friedrichstal... , Germany |
1–0 | 1–1 | Friendly Exhibition game An exhibition game is a sporting event in which there is no competitive value of any significant kind to any competitor regardless of the outcome of the competition... |
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| 9 | 18 June 1998 | Stadium de Toulouse, Toulouse Toulouse Toulouse is a city in the Haute-Garonne department in southwestern FranceIt lies on the banks of the River Garonne, 590 km away from Paris and half-way between the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea... |
1–0 | 1–1 | 1998 FIFA World Cup 1998 FIFA World Cup The 1998 FIFA World Cup, the 16th FIFA World Cup, was held in France from 10 June to 12 July 1998. France was chosen as host nation by FIFA on 2 July 1992. The tournament was won by France, who beat Brazil 3-0 in the final... |
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| 10 | 16 December 1998 | Johannesburg Johannesburg Johannesburg also known as Jozi, Jo'burg or Egoli, is the largest city in South Africa, by population. Johannesburg is the provincial capital of Gauteng, the wealthiest province in South Africa, having the largest economy of any metropolitan region in Sub-Saharan Africa... , South Africa |
1–1 | 2–1 | Friendly | |
| 11 | 16 February 1998 | Johannesburg, South Africa | 2–1 | 2–1 | Friendly | |
| 12 | 27 February 1999 | Mabopane Mabopane Mabopane is a Township in South Africa. It is situated in the Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality, in the north of Gauteng.-History:Mabopane was proclaimed in the early 1970s as a black-only residential settlement by the then puppet government of Bophuthatswana under Kgosi Dr. Lucas Mangope... , South Africa |
4–1 | 4–1 | 2000 African Cup of Nations qualifier 2000 African Cup of Nations qualification This page details the process of qualifying for the 2000 African Cup of Nations.-Preliminary round:-----------------------------------------------------------------Group 1:... |
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| 13 | 5 June 1999 | Durban Durban Durban is the largest city in the South African province of KwaZulu-Natal and the third largest city in South Africa. It forms part of the eThekwini metropolitan municipality. Durban is famous for being the busiest port in South Africa. It is also seen as one of the major centres of tourism... , South Africa |
2–0 | 2–0 | 2000 African Cup of Nations qualifier | |
| 14 | 7 June 2000 | Dallas, United States | 1–2 | 2–4 | 2000 Nike U.S. Cup 2000 Nike U.S. Cup The 2000 Nike United States Cup , a Nike-sponsored, United States Soccer Federation -organized international football tournament, took place in June 2000. It was the seventh and last U.S. Cup in the series, which began in 1992.... |
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| 15 | 11 June 2000 | East Rutherford, United States | 1–0 | 1–2 | 2000 Nike U.S. Cup | |
| 16 | 24 March 2001 | Port Elizabeth, South Africa | 1–0 | 3–0 | 2002 African Cup of Nations qualification 2002 African Cup of Nations qualification -Qualified teams:The 16 qualified teams are:-Preliminary round:-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Group 1:------------... |
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| 17 | 5 May 2001 | Johannesburg Johannesburg Johannesburg also known as Jozi, Jo'burg or Egoli, is the largest city in South Africa, by population. Johannesburg is the provincial capital of Gauteng, the wealthiest province in South Africa, having the largest economy of any metropolitan region in Sub-Saharan Africa... , South Africa |
2–0 | 2–1 | 2002 World Cup qualifier 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification (CAF) Listed below are the dates and results for the 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification rounds for the African Zone . For an overview of the qualification rounds, see the article 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification.... |
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| 18 | 15 January 2002 | Mafikeng Mafikeng Mahikeng – formerly legally, but still commonly known as Mafikeng – is the capital city of the North-West Province of South Africa. It is best known internationally for the Siege of Mafeking, the most famous engagement of the Second Boer War.Located on South Africa's border with Botswana, it is ... , South Africa |
1–0 | 1–0 | Friendly | |
| 19 | 23 May 2002 | Hong Kong Stadium Hong Kong Stadium Hong Kong Stadium is the main sports venue of Hong Kong. Redeveloped from the old Government Stadium it reincarnated as Hong Kong Stadium in 1994... , Hong Kong |
1–0 | 2–0 | HKSAR Reunification Cup HKSAR Reunification Cup HKSAR Reunification Cup is a cup competition for celebrating the reunification of Hong Kong to China from finishing the colonial rule by United Kingdom. The first edition of the cup was held on 3 July 1997, two days after the Day of Establishment of HKSAR. The second edition was featured by a... |
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| 20 | 23 May 2002 | Hong Kong Stadium, Hong Kong | 2–0 | 2–0 | HKSAR Reunification Cup | |
| 21 | 12 June 2002 | Daejeon Daejeon Daejeon is South Korea's fifth largest metropolis and the provincial capital of Chungnam. Located in the center of the country, Daejeon had a population of over 1.5 million in 2010. It is at the crossroads of Gyeongbu railway, Honam railway, Gyeongbu Expressway, and Honam Expressway. Within the... , South Korea |
1–1 | 2–3 | 2002 FIFA World Cup 2002 FIFA World Cup The 2002 FIFA World Cup was the 17th staging of the FIFA World Cup, held in South Korea and Japan from 31 May to 30 June. It was also the first World Cup held in Asia, and the last in which the golden goal rule was implemented. Brazil won the tournament for a record fifth time, beating Germany 2–0... |
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| 22 | 22 May 2003 | Durban, South Africa | 1–1 | 1–2 | Friendly | |
| 23 | 15 November 2003 | Cairo Cairo Cairo , is the capital of Egypt and the largest city in the Arab world and Africa, and the 16th largest metropolitan area in the world. Nicknamed "The City of a Thousand Minarets" for its preponderance of Islamic architecture, Cairo has long been a centre of the region's political and cultural life... , Egypt |
1–0 | 1–2 | Friendly | |
| 24 | 18 August 2004 | Tunis Tunis Tunis is the capital of both the Tunisian Republic and the Tunis Governorate. It is Tunisia's largest city, with a population of 728,453 as of 2004; the greater metropolitan area holds some 2,412,500 inhabitants.... , Tunisia |
1–0 | 2–0 | Friendly | |
| 25 | 10 October 2004 | Kampala Kampala Kampala is the largest city and capital of Uganda. The city is divided into five boroughs that oversee local planning: Kampala Central Division, Kawempe Division, Makindye Division, Nakawa Division and Lubaga Division. The city is coterminous with Kampala District.-History: of Buganda, had chosen... , Uganda |
1–0 | 1–0 | 2006 World Cup qualifier 2006 FIFA World Cup The 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which won the right to host the event in July 2000. Teams representing 198 national football associations from all six... |
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| 26 | 9 February 2005 | Durban, South Africa | 1–0 | 1–1 | Friendly | |
| 27 | 4 June 2005 | Praia Praia Praia , is the capital and largest city of Cape Verde, an island nation in the Atlantic Ocean west of Senegal. It lies on the southern coast of Santiago island in the Sotavento Islands group. It is the island's ferry port and is home to one of the nation’s four international airports... , Cape Verde |
1–0 | 2–1 | 2006 World Cup qualifier | |
| 28 | 7 September 2005 | Bremen Bremen The City Municipality of Bremen is a Hanseatic city in northwestern Germany. A commercial and industrial city with a major port on the river Weser, Bremen is part of the Bremen-Oldenburg metropolitan area . Bremen is the second most populous city in North Germany and tenth in Germany.Bremen is... , Germany |
2–3 | 2–4 | Friendly | |
| 29 | 14 January 2006 | Cairo, Egypt | 2–1 | 2–1 | Friendly | |
| 30 | 9 September 2007 | Newlands Stadium Newlands Stadium Newlands Stadium, currently referred to as DHL Newlands for sponsorship reasons, is located in Cape Town, South Africa.The stadium currently has a capacity of 51,900 people, but is not an all seater venue.... , Cape Town Cape Town Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality... , South Africa |
1–3 | 1–3 | 2008 Africa Cup of Nations qualification | |
| 31 | 26 March 2008 | Atteridgeville Atteridgeville Atteridgeville, part of the City of Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality, is a township located on the west of Pretoria, South Africa. It is bordered to the west by Saulsville, to the east by Proclamation Hill; to the south by Laudium and to the north by Lotus Gardens.-History:Atteridgeville was... , South Africa |
2–0 | 3–0 | Friendly | |
| 32 | 15 October 2008 | Bloemfontein Bloemfontein Bloemfontein is the capital city of the Free State Province of South Africa; and, as the judicial capital of the nation, one of South Africa's three national capitals – the other two being Cape Town, the legislative capital, and Pretoria, the administrative capital.Bloemfontein is popularly and... , South Africa |
1–1 | 2–1 | Friendly |
Honours
- Ajax
- EredivisieEredivisieThe Eredivisie is the highest football league in the Netherlands. The league was founded in 1956 two years after the start of professional football in the Netherlands. It is currently ranked the ninth best league in Europe by UEFA....
: 1997–98 - KNVB CupKNVB CupThe KNVB Cup is a competition in the Netherlands organized by the Royal Dutch Football Association since 1899. It was based on the format of the English FA Cup. Outside of the Netherlands, it is often referred to as the Dutch Cup...
: 1997–98, 1998–99
- Eredivisie
- Celta VigoCelta de VigoReal Club Celta de Vigo , simply referred to as Celta Vigo, is a Spanish professional football club based in Vigo, Galicia, currently playing in the Segunda División. It was founded on March 28, 1923 following the merger of Real Vigo Sporting and Real Fortuna Foot-ball Club.Nicknamed Los Celestes ,...
- UEFA Intertoto CupUEFA Intertoto CupThe UEFA Intertoto Cup, also abbreviated as UI Cup and originally called the International Football Cup, was a summer football competition for European clubs that had not qualified for one of the two major UEFA competitions, the Champions League and the UEFA Cup. The competition was discontinued...
: 2000
- UEFA Intertoto Cup
- Porto
- Portuguese LigaPortuguese LigaThe Primeira Liga , formerly called Primeira Divisão, currently named Liga ZON Sagres after their main sponsors, is the top professional association football division of the Portuguese football league system...
: 2003–04, 2005–06 - Portuguese Cup: 2005–06
- Portuguese Supercup: 2003–04, 2004–05
- UEFA Champions LeagueUEFA Champions LeagueThe UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
: 2003–04UEFA Champions League 2003-04The 2003–04 UEFA Champions League was the 12th season of UEFA's premier European club football tournament, the UEFA Champions League, since its rebranding from the European Cup in 1992, and the 49th tournament overall... - Intercontinental CupIntercontinental Cup (football)The European/South American Cup, commonly referred to as the World Club Championship, Intercontinental Cup or Toyota Cup, was a football competition endorsed by UEFA and CONMEBOL, contested between the winners of the European Cup and the South American Copa Libertadores...
: 20042004 Intercontinental CupThe 2004 Intercontinental Cup was a football match played on 12 December 2004 between FC Porto, winners of 2003–04 UEFA Champions League, and Once Caldas, winners of the 2004 Copa Libertadores. The match was played at the neutral venue of the International Stadium Yokohama in Yokohama, Japan, in...
- Portuguese Liga
In popular culture
In 1998, Benni McCarthy collaborated with South African kwaitoKwaito
Kwaito is a music genre that emerged in Johannesburg, South Africa, during the 1990s. It is a variant of house music featuring the use of African sounds and samples. Typically at a slower tempo range than other styles of house music, Kwaito often contains catchy melodic and percussive loop samples,...
music group TKZee
TKZee
TKZee is a South Africa kwaito music group formed by three school friends, Tokollo Tshabalala, Kabelo Mabalane, and Zwai Bala. The group shot to prominence in late 1997 and early 1998 with their hit singles Palafala and Shibobo....
in "Shibobo
Shibobo
"Shibobo" is a successful 1998 South African single by South African kwaito music group TKZee and features South African football player Benni McCarthy. It is also the title song from TKZee's second album Shibobo....
". The song released in the run-up to the 1998 FIFA World Cup
1998 FIFA World Cup
The 1998 FIFA World Cup, the 16th FIFA World Cup, was held in France from 10 June to 12 July 1998. France was chosen as host nation by FIFA on 2 July 1992. The tournament was won by France, who beat Brazil 3-0 in the final...
in France samples greatly on "The Final Countdown
The Final Countdown (song)
"The Final Countdown" is a rock song by the Swedish band Europe released in 1986. Written by Joey Tempest, it was the first single from the band's third studio album which was also named The Final Countdown. It is considered by some to be the band's most recognizable and popular song. The song...
" by Europe
Europe (band)
Europe is a Swedish rock band formed in Upplands Väsby in 1979 under the name Force by vocalist Joey Tempest, guitarist John Norum and drummer Tony Reno. Although widely associated with glam metal, the band's sound incorporates heavy metal and hard rock elements...
and features Benni McCarthy rapping part of the lyrics. He also appears in the football-themed music video for the song. Sales of the single topped the 100,000 mark in just over a month in South Africa, making "Shibobo" the fastest and biggest selling CD single by TKZee or other South African recording artists. The song was also a hit in other African music charts. The song is enjoying a comeback in a re-release in 2010–2011.