Benni Mc Carthy, former FC Porto player and current coach of Kenya, revealed that one of the South African national team coaches made his time with the national team a challenge. In an excerpt from his authorized biography, the Harambee Stars coach described his time with Bafana Bafana under Philippe Troussier as extremely difficult, stating that the coach seemed determined to undo much of what Ephraim Matsilele Jomo Sono had built, in addition to treating the players condescendingly. Mc Carthy recalled feeling personally targeted, as Troussier seemed to single him out during criticisms: he often yelled at him during training, emphasizing that Jomo was no longer in charge and that he could no longer act freely. The current coach felt that Troussier's behavior was motivated by resentment towards him, as Jomo's favorite player, and that the constant attempts to embarrass him in front of his teammates made the experience particularly demoralizing. "After the African Cup of Nations, Frenchman Philippe Troussier was appointed our new coach to lead us in the 1998 World Cup finals. For me, it was a nightmare," he shared. "He seemed determined to deconstruct everything Jomo had built and adopted a paternalistic attitude towards the players, making me feel like his main target. 'Hey Mc Carthy,' he would yell during training. 'Your father Jomo is no longer here; you can't do whatever you want,'" he recounted. "He saw me as Jomo's favorite son, and his inexplicable animosity was hard to understand. He relentlessly intimidated me, constantly trying to humiliate me in front of my teammates," he remembered. Benni Mc Carthy explained that at that stage of his career, he was looking for a coach who could help him grow and take his game to the next level. The Harambee Stars coach admitted that what should have been a landmark experience in his career, the 1998 World Cup in France, turned into a deeply unpleasant period, as the negative treatment overshadowed what should have been a memorable milestone. "At that stage of my career, I needed a coach who could elevate my game. Instead, I was left with someone who was criticizing me, treating me like a rookie just months after being one of the best players in a major international tournament. The entire World Cup in France, which should have been a career highlight, became a miserable experience," he revealed. Benni Mc Carthy admitted that although few footballers have the opportunity to play in a World Cup, he often found himself wishing he were injured just to avoid going through the experience. He recalled having fleeting and angry thoughts about confronting Troussier physically and noted that his teammate Mark Fish almost did so after a particularly shocking incident during training. "When Willem Jackson headed the ball out of play, Troussier exploded. He grabbed Jackson by the neck and then threw a ball against the side of his head. It was the most humiliating thing I ever witnessed on a training field," he said. "Fish bravely stood up to the coach, demanding that he show more respect to the players. The atmosphere was defined by constant conflict and hysteria, with no encouragement whatsoever. The drama peaked after our 0-3 defeat against France in Marseille when Troussier threatened to resign just before our second group game against Denmark," he concluded.
FC Porto Benni Mc Carthy remains central to this story.
FC Porto Benni Mc Carthy remains central to this story.
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