'I wasn't an A**hole' - Benni McCarthy happy with Jose Mourinho's foreword as he recalls relationship with legendary tactician - 'He will always speak very highly of me'

Kenya tactician and Bafana Bafana legend Benni McCarthy recently unveiled his book documenting his journey in the game and how it changed his life.

Current Benfica coach Jose Mourinho wrote the foreword to the ex-striker's biography, praising him for his conduct as a player and the influence he had.

The two were part of the Porto team that beat Monaco 3-0 to win the UEFA Champions League in 2004.

Benni went on to explain what Mourinho's comment meant before explaining how he professionally conducted himself during his active days.

"Man, just what he said about me as well; you know, I think a lot of people’s views will change when they hear, you know, what he actually said and how I was more than just a football player. You know, I was a humanitarian as well, and the way I conducted myself. You know that I’ve earned the respect from people, that people didn’t just respect me because I’m a goal scorer, but I was a complete player," he said, as quoted by iDiski Times.

“I was a team player as well. For example, in the Champions League final, if I were an a**hole, I would have just said, like, ‘No, I want to play. I’ve got the team to where I was, but if I had to be sacrificed, I’d take it, you know; I wasn’t bigger than the team. I wasn’t bigger than anybody.

“If the manager feels that that’s probably the best thing to do, and then, yeah, I take it, you know, not happy, but I take it because it’s in the best interest of the team, and I think that’s what was respected more than anything else when it comes to that. And I think that’s why he will always speak very highly of me, because I wasn’t a selfish player. I didn’t make it about me," Benni concluded.

After hanging up his boots, Benni is now into coaching, where he has already shown the ability to deliver regardless of the team.

In Mzansi, he won the MTN8 with Cape Town City and later helped AmaZulu to finish second on the table to compete in the CAF Champions League.

He later worked under Erik ten Hag as Manchester United's strikers' coach before taking on another massive task in Kenya, where he is currently managing the national team, Harambee Stars.

After helping Kenya reach the knockout phase of CHAN in 2025, their first time in history, Benni is expected to help the team deliver in the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).

Kenya, who will co-host alongside Uganda and Tanzania, have already qualified by virtue of staging the competition.