Football
KweséESPN Reporter 6y

McCarthy frustrated by Cape Town City's lack of goals

Benni McCarthy's career was a record-breaking goal bonanza but stuck now on the sidelines, his frustration at his Cape Town City players' inability to find the back of the net is increasing daily.

An unimpressive 1-0 win over Swaziland's Young Buffaloes at home in the second leg of their CAF Confederation Cup tie had the 40-year-old former South African international livid as he bemoaned the frequent prolificacy of the City players in front of goal.

The victory was enough to see City through to the second round in their debut in continental club competition, but McCarthy is desperate for an improvement ahead of the challenges ahead.

"I gave them [City players] a bollocking because when you get opportunities, you have a chance to show yourself, get goals, take the chances and get used to scoring goals," he told journalists, "but it looked like another 'smash-and-grab' kind of game for us because it is always 1-0, 1-0, 1-0 for us.

"It gets a bit frustrating when you stand on the sidelines and you see that your team does create numerous chances against all the opposition that we play but we can't seem to score goals," he continued. "I honestly don't know what to do anymore."

City have scored 20 goals in 21 league games this season, and seven in eight cup matches.

However, despite his unhappiness, McCarthy got away with playing a second-string XI in both legs against the Swazi side, keeping a clean sheet in both matches.

"It was a great opportunity to make some changes and give some of the guys who haven't played enough games a chance to catch up and get some fitness and get some game time in a good competitive game," McCarthy continued. "I could do better than what a few of them are doing. Not that I am putting them down but it is just happening now far too often. I don't know what to say or what to do anymore.

"Our trainings are almost all consisting on attacking and scoring goals. They (players) can never complain that they don't do enough practice at it."

City, who have seen their league title chances slip in recent weeks but are still chasing success in South Africa's FA Cup, want to do well in the Confederation Cup.

"You are always in football to try and win trophies," McCarthy concluded, "and for us it might be costly but we want to go as far as we can."

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