Benni: The guys need to be chameleons

Benni McCarthy hopes his Cape Town City side don’t lose ground in the early stages of the Absa Premiership as he looks to stay within touching distance of pace-setters Bloemfontein Celtic and Bidvest Wits.

City are in good spirits after beating the might of Mamelodi Sundowns 1-0 in the MTN8 semifinal first leg in the Mother City on Saturday.

McCarthy’s side will shift their focus to league action as they face Luc Eymael’s Free State Stars in Bethlehem tonight. However, the City coach does not like travelling to the Free State because of the logistical nightmare.

“I think the guys need to be chameleons, they need to be able to adapt and change, especially coming from this high. We have to regard Stars as a cup final because three points are our daily bread, and we don’t want to lose track of the teams in front,” said McCarthy.

“Unfortunately we have to do that ugly travel and it is not a pleasant one for us because we have to fly to Jo’burg and will then be on the road for about five hours. I think that is why most teams don’t normally go there and get a result,” he added.

The trip may rub McCarthy up the wrong way, but seeing Ayanda Patosi (left) going the extra mile to fight his weight-gain demons puts a smile on the face of the former Bafana striker.

“If we can get him (Patosi) to play as much as possible, only games will bring his fitness back. He has done well, he has been very good at training and has been working hard. With me it is about trying to make a change and a difference,” said McCarthy.

He continued: “He has changed his mindset and his lifestyle a little bit and he has been consistent in training and that is why we find him in most of the starting line-ups. He knows how important he is to us when he is at his best.

“I am going to persevere with him, keep the faith and give him the benefit of the doubt up until he proves otherwise.”