Benni axed over women

2010-06-06 08:34

S’busiso Mseleku, Elijah Moholola and Karin Burger, Rapport

Johannesburg – Bafana Bafana star Benni McCarthy – who is married – was left out of the final World Cup team after he apparently entertained women in the early hours of the morning in his luxury hotel room in Sandton.

This was also the reason why goalkeeper Rowen Fernandes was cut from the team.

The scandal follows another in sporting circles after it was revealed on Friday that Springbok lock Andries Bekker had been cheating on his wife of two years, Pioni, with a fourth-year student in Cape Town.

Sources in the Bafana camp told City Press that McCarthy and Fernandes were apparently entertaining women at 04:00 on Thursday morning at their hotel.

Coach Carlos Parreira was furious and immediately decided to cut the two from the team after security showed him CCTV tapes of McCarthy and Fernandes taking the women up to the room.

The incident took place shortly after the South African team’s pen-ultimate practice match (before the final team was announced) against Colombia.

It had been believed until now that McCarthy had been left out of the team because he was overweight and unfit.

Several sources, including a top soccer official and a hotel staff member who wanted to remain anonymous, confirmed the events.

Fernandes initially denied the report and McCarthy could not be reached for comment.
 

 

- Rapport