8 Fast facts about Benni McCarthy

After almost two decades of professional football, Benni McCarthy (35) has called it quits. “It has been a 17-year professional career that surpassed even my own expectations,” he says.

“I’ve been privileged to have played under many great coaches, including the very best, José Mourinho. I retire having represented my country at senior level 80 times and scored a record 31 goals.”

Here are 8 awesome facts about Benni:

1. He holds the record for international goals scored for South Africa.
2. He’s Bafana Bafana’s top goal scorer of all time.
3. He once scored four goals in one match (against Namibia in 1998).
4. Benni played for Portuguese team Porto while José Mourinho, “The Special One”, was coach there. He was at Porto when they won the Uefa Champion’s League in 2004.
5. He was bought by Blackburn Rovers in 2006 for £2.5 million (R16, 25 million).
6. He was the second top scorer in the 2006-07 Premier League with 18 goals, beating Cristiano Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney and Robin van Persie.
7. He was born in Hanover Park on the Cape Flats.
8. His older brother, Jerome, was also a professional footballer, who played for Kaiser Chiefs.

-Kirstin Buick

Sources: sowetanlive.co.za, kickoff.com, espnfc.com

Images: Gallo Images, Getty Images, AFP Photo/Andrew Yates