Benni McCarthy is not injured as far as Blackburn Rovers are concerned, but a spokesperson for the enigmatic Bafana Bafana striker’s club said on Tuesday he was not match fit and was overweight — ”and that is basically why he has not been in the Premiership line-ups this season”.
This startling assessment in the latest controversial McCarthy saga was released simultaneously with the striker’s arrival on Tuesday at the Bafana training camp for Saturday’s critical Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Nigeria at the Eastern Province Rugby Stadium.
Reports have been circulating during the past few days that McCarthy is suffering from a slight groin injury and would need to undergo a fitness test before the clash against the Super Eagles.
And it was hinted this was the reason why he had played a meagre 17 minutes in Blackburn’s three Premiership games this season — culminating in his non-appearance, even on the bench, for Saturday’s 4-1 defeat against West Ham.
”Roque Santa Cruz and Jason Roberts are currently our first-choice strikers,” said the Blackburn spokesperson, ”with Matt Derbyshire as the standby.
”Team manager Paul Ince is well aware of Benni’s talent, but believes he is currently in no condition to warrant selection and also expects him to accept the situation and make a concerted effort to regain his place in the team.”
Blackburn, it seems, are currently experiencing the kind of frustrations that have often been the fate of Bafana in regard to the 30 year-old striker — who, in spite of his experience, is still often described as an enfant terrible.
However, Bafana team spokesperson Sifiso Cele said on Tuesday night that the South African technical team and medical staff — and not Blackburn — would assess whether the country’s top goal scorer was free of injury and sufficiently match fit to take his place in the line-up against Nigeria.
”He will be subjected to the same tests on these two scores as the other players,” added Cele. ”Afterwards the medical staff and the coach will decide whether it is advisable for him to play or not.”
A decision, perhaps, that only adds to the mountain of pressure already on the shoulders of Brazil-born coach Joel Santana — and one that could result in him emerging a villain or a hero. — Sapa