McCarthy wants Pirates to make league race ‘fun’ again, challenge Sundowns

Benni McCarthy has expressed his views on his former team Orlando Pirates’ double cup win, saying it does not impress him that much.

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Former Pirates striker McCarthy, who is now Manchester United’s attacking coach, says he would rather the Buccaneers challenge Mamelodi Sundowns in the DStv Premiership title race. He feels Sundowns have had it easy in the league. 

“You play all year to win the league… So winning the MTN8is great, winning the Nedbank Cup is also great,” said McCarthy in an interview with Marawa Sports Worldwide this week.  

“But I think the big one that you chase is the league. I think they’ve had a great season, but by their standards that’s not good enough. 

“They’re supposed to be pushing Sundowns all the way to the wire. It should be a far closer contest than what it is,” added McCarthy.

Sundowns won their 13th league title, and seventh in a row, with six games to spare. Pirates finished second, a huge 16 points behind Sundowns.

“Sundowns is a one-horse race in our league at the moment. I hope that the progress Pirates are making and the new coach with what he is doing at the club is that he can push to make the league more interesting than what it was. 

McCarthy challenges Pirates

“Like how it was before, when we had four teams always battling each other and it could go either way. It was almost always going down to the wire but the last few years has only been one-way traffic and that’s not fun,” said McCarthy.

“Every other team needs to raise their game to compete and make the league better than what it is. Now, after the first game they might as well hand the trophy to Sundowns because that’s what is happening.”

Pirates coach Jose Riveiro, who won the MTN8 and Nedbank Cup in his first season, has also expressed his desire to win the league. 

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And that will be the expectation for his second season – that he challenges for the league and does well in the Caf Champions League.