Benni McCarthy
| Date of birth | 12 November 1977 |
| Place of birth | Cape Town |
| Nationality | South African |
| Weight | 76 kg |
| Height | 1.82 m |
| Position | Forward |
Began his career in the domestic league with Seven Stars before moving to Ajax for 1997-98 season.
He made his international debut in June 1997 against Holland.
He established his reputation in the African Nations' Cup finals the following year, netting four goals against Namibia and seven in total as South Africa went on to finish runners-up.
He made the squad for the 1998 World Cup finals, scoring in the 1-1 draw with Denmark, but later opted out of the international scene in an attempt to establish himself at Ajax.
Benni scored regularly in his spell at Ajax but has not always been able to gain a regular place in the starting line-up and switched Celta Vigo for the start of 1999-2000 season.
He again failed to establish a place in the first team and an attempted move to the Premiership with Middlesbrough in September 2001 failed as he was refused a work permit.
He left Celta Vigo on loan to FC Porto in Portugal in December 2001 hoping to make the move a permanent one at the end of the season.
Despite his woes at club level, he has an excellent record at international level and he did return for them in the qualifying competition and the African Nations' Cup Finals in Mali.
Benni scored in South Africa's final game in the 2002 World Cup finals - a 3-2 defeat by Spain.
He joined Blackburn Rovers in July 2006 with a four-year contract that was extended to June 2011 in April 2008.
Benni joined West Ham United in February 2010 with a contract to June 2012 that was cancelled in April 2011.
Club history
| Team | Joined | Left | Loan / Trialist |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seven Stars | 01 Jul 1995 | 01 Jul 1997 | |
| Ajax | 01 Jul 1997 | 01 Jul 1999 | |
| Celta Vigo | 01 Jul 1999 | 01 Jul 2003 | |
| FC Porto | 01 Dec 2001 | 31 May 2002 | L |
| FC Porto | 01 Jul 2003 | 28 Jul 2006 | |
| Blackburn Rovers | 28 Jul 2006 | 01 Feb 2010 | |
| West Ham United | 01 Feb 2010 | 13 Apr 2011 | |
| Orlando Pirates | 02 Aug 2011 |
Club stats
| Season | Team | Competition | Apps | Subs | Goals | Y | R |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000-01 | Celta Vigo | Primera Liga | 8 | 10 |
2
|
||
| 2000-01 | Celta Vigo | UEFA Cup | 5 | 1 |
1 |
||
| 2000-01 | Celta Vigo | UEFA Intertoto Cup | 2 | 3 |
|||
| 2001-02 | Celta Vigo | Primera Liga | 2 |
||||
| 2001-02 | Celta Vigo | UEFA Cup | 2 | 1 |
1 |
||
| 2002-03 | Celta Vigo | Primera Liga | 2 | 12 |
2 |
1
|
1
|
| 2002-03 | Celta Vigo | UEFA Cup | 1 | 3 |
2 |
||
| 2003-04 | FC Porto | UEFA Champions League | 6 | 3 |
2 |
1
|
|
| 2003-04 | FC Porto | UEFA Super Cup | 1 | ||||
| 2004-05 | FC Porto | UEFA Champions League | 1 | 1 |
2 |
||
| 2006-07 | Blackburn Rovers | FA Cup | 3 | 2 |
3 |
2
|
|
| 2006-07 | Blackburn Rovers | League Cup | 1 | ||||
| 2006-07 | Blackburn Rovers | Premier League | 36 | 18 |
9
|
||
| 2006-07 | Blackburn Rovers | UEFA Cup | 7 | 1 |
3 |
1
|
|
| 2007-08 | Blackburn Rovers | FA Cup | 1 | ||||
| 2007-08 | Blackburn Rovers | League Cup | 1 | 1 |
1 |
||
| 2007-08 | Blackburn Rovers | Premier League | 21 | 10 |
8 |
1
|
|
| 2007-08 | Blackburn Rovers | UEFA Cup | 1 | 1 |
|||
| 2007-08 | Blackburn Rovers | UEFA Intertoto Cup | 2 | 2 |
1
|
||
| 2008-09 | Blackburn Rovers | FA Cup | 2 | 2 |
1 |
||
| 2008-09 | Blackburn Rovers | League Cup | 1 |
2 |
|||
| 2008-09 | Blackburn Rovers | Premier League | 18 | 10 |
10 |
4
|
1
|
| 2009-10 | Blackburn Rovers | League Cup | 3 | 2 |
3 |
1
|
|
| 2009-10 | Blackburn Rovers | Premier League | 7 | 7 |
1 |
2
|
|
| 2009-10 | West Ham United | Premier League | 2 | 3 |
|||
| 2010-11 | West Ham United | League Cup | 1 | 2 |
|||
| 2010-11 | West Ham United | Premier League | 6 |
Please note: Career stats are based on performances in the Premier and Football Leagues and (in most cases all) internationals.
Club matches
| Date | Match | Result | Competition | Round | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26 Jul 2000 | Celta Vigo v Aston Villa | W | 1-0 | Intertoto Cup | Semi-final 1st leg |
| 02 Aug 2000 | Aston Villa v Celta Vigo | W |
1-2 Agg: 1-3 |
Intertoto Cup | Semi-final 2nd leg |
| 28 Sep 2000 | NK Rijeka v Celta Vigo | W |
0-1 Agg: 0-1 |
UEFA Cup | 1st round 2nd leg |
| 01 Oct 2000 | Rayo Vallecano v Celta Vigo | L | 3-0 | Primera Liga | 4 |
| 15 Oct 2000 | Celta Vigo v Alavés | D | 1-1 | Primera Liga | 5 |
| 22 Oct 2000 | Oviedo v Celta Vigo | L | 3-1 | Primera Liga | 6 |
| 26 Oct 2000 | Crvena Zvezda v Celta Vigo | L | 1-0 | UEFA Cup | 2nd round 1st leg |
| 29 Oct 2000 | Celta Vigo v Valladolid | W | 2-1 | Primera Liga | 7 |
| 01 Nov 2000 | Valencia v Celta Vigo | L | 1-0 | Primera Liga | 8 |
| 04 Nov 2000 | Celta Vigo v Malaga | W | 1-0 | Primera Liga | 9 |
| 09 Nov 2000 | Celta Vigo v Crvena Zvezda | W |
5-3 Agg: 5-4 |
UEFA Cup | 2nd round 2nd leg |
| 12 Nov 2000 | Athletic Bilbao v Celta Vigo | L | 2-1 | Primera Liga | 10 |
| 19 Nov 2000 | Celta Vigo v Racing Santander | D | 1-1 | Primera Liga | 11 |
| 23 Nov 2000 | Shakhtar Donetsk v Celta Vigo | D | 0-0 | UEFA Cup | 3rd round 1st leg |
| 07 Dec 2000 | Celta Vigo v Shakhtar Donetsk | W |
1-0 Agg: 1-0 |
UEFA Cup | 3rd round 2nd leg |
| 10 Dec 2000 | Real Madrid v Celta Vigo | L | 3-0 | Primera Liga | 14 |
| 07 Jan 2001 | Celta Vigo v Las Palmas | L | 0-1 | Primera Liga | 17 |
| 14 Jan 2001 | Villarreal v Celta Vigo | L | 2-0 | Primera Liga | 18 |
| 21 Jan 2001 | Celta Vigo v Real Zaragoza | D | 1-1 | Primera Liga | 19 |
| 04 Feb 2001 | Real Sociedad v Celta Vigo | D | 2-2 | Primera Liga | 21 |
| 18 Feb 2001 | Celta Vigo v Rayo Vallecano | D | 1-1 | Primera Liga | 23 |
| 08 Mar 2001 | Barcelona v Celta Vigo | L | 2-1 | UEFA Cup | Quarter-final 1st leg |
| 11 Mar 2001 | Valladolid v Celta Vigo | W | 1-2 | Primera Liga | 26 |
| 31 Mar 2001 | Malaga v Celta Vigo | W | 1-4 | Primera Liga | 28 |
| 08 Apr 2001 | Celta Vigo v Athletic Bilbao | W | 2-1 | Primera Liga | 29 |
| 20 May 2001 | Celta Vigo v Numancia | D | 1-1 | Primera Liga | 35 |
| 23 Sep 2001 | Celta Vigo v Real Mallorca | D | 0-0 | Primera Liga | 4 |
| 27 Sep 2001 | Sigma Olomouc v Celta Vigo | D |
0-0 Agg: 0-0 |
UEFA Cup | 1st round 2nd leg |
| 18 Oct 2001 | Celta Vigo v Slovan Liberec | D | 0-0 | UEFA Cup | 2nd round 1st leg |
| 01 Nov 2001 | Slovan Liberec v Celta Vigo | D |
0-0 Agg: 0-0 |
UEFA Cup | 2nd round 2nd leg |
| 02 Dec 2001 | Celta Vigo v Villarreal | D | 0-0 | Primera Liga | 15 |
| 01 Sep 2002 | Sevilla v Celta Vigo | D | 0-0 | Primera Liga | 1 |
| 19 Sep 2002 | Celta Vigo v OB Odense | D | 0-0 | UEFA Cup | 1st round 1st leg |
| 22 Sep 2002 | Recreativo de Huelva v Celta Vigo | D | 0-0 | Primera Liga | 3 |
| 29 Sep 2002 | Celta Vigo v Malaga | D | 0-0 | Primera Liga | 4 |
| 03 Oct 2002 | OB Odense v Celta Vigo | D |
0-0 Agg: 0-0 |
UEFA Cup | 1st round 2nd leg |
| 20 Oct 2002 | Celta Vigo v Rayo Vallecano | D | 0-0 | Primera Liga | 6 |
| 31 Oct 2002 | Celta Vigo v Viking Stavanger | D | 0-0 | UEFA Cup | 2nd round 1st leg |
| 24 Nov 2002 | Celta Vigo v Osasuna | D | 0-0 | Primera Liga | 11 |
| 28 Nov 2002 | Celtic v Celta Vigo | L | 1-0 | UEFA Cup | 3rd round 1st leg |
| 21 Dec 2002 | Celta Vigo v Villarreal | D | 0-0 | Primera Liga | 15 |
| 04 Jan 2003 | Deportivo La Coruña v Celta Vigo | D | 0-0 | Primera Liga | 16 |
| 11 Jan 2003 | Celta Vigo v Real Madrid | D | 0-0 | Primera Liga | 17 |
| 26 Jan 2003 | Celta Vigo v Barcelona | D | 0-0 | Primera Liga | 19 |
| 02 Feb 2003 | Celta Vigo v Sevilla | D | 0-0 | Primera Liga | 20 |
| 09 Mar 2003 | Rayo Vallecano v Celta Vigo | D | 0-0 | Primera Liga | 25 |
| 16 Mar 2003 | Atlético Madrid v Celta Vigo | D | 0-0 | Primera Liga | 26 |
| 23 Mar 2003 | Celta Vigo v Athletic Bilbao | D | 0-0 | Primera Liga | 27 |
| 04 May 2003 | Alavés v Celta Vigo | D | 0-0 | Primera Liga | 32 |
Please note: Match history is complete for the Premier and Football Leagues and (in most cases all) internationals.
International stats
| Season | Team | Competition | Apps | Subs | Goals | Y | R |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996-97 | Korea Republic | World Youth Cup | 1 | ||||
| 1996-97 | South Africa | International Friendly | 1 |
||||
| 1996-97 | South Africa | World Youth Cup | 2 | ||||
| 1997-98 | South Africa | Africa Cup of Nations | 5 | 1 |
7 |
1
|
|
| 1997-98 | South Africa | COSAFA Cup | 1 | ||||
| 1997-98 | South Africa | FIFA World Cup | 3 | 1 |
|||
| 1997-98 | South Africa | International Friendly | 2 | 3 |
1 |
1
|
|
| 1998-99 | South Africa | Africa Cup of Nations | 3 | 2 |
2 |
||
| 1998-99 | South Africa | International Friendly | 1 | 2 |
|||
| 1999-00 | South Africa | Afro-Asian Cup of Nations | 1 | ||||
| 1999-00 | South Africa | US Nike Cup | 3 | 1 |
|||
| 2000-01 | South Africa | Africa Cup of Nations | 3 | 1 |
|||
| 2000-01 | South Africa | FIFA World Cup | 2 | 1 |
1 |
||
| 2000-01 | South Africa | International Friendly | 2 | ||||
| 2000-01 | South Africa | Olympics | 3 | 1 |
1
|
||
| 2001-02 | South Africa | Africa Cup of Nations | 4 |
2
|
|||
| 2001-02 | South Africa | FIFA World Cup | 4 | 1 |
1
|
||
| 2001-02 | South Africa | International Friendly | 4 | 1 |
1
|
||
| 2001-02 | South Africa | Reunification Cup | 1 | 1 |
2 |
||
| 2002-03 | South Africa | International Friendly | 1 | 1 |
|||
| 2003-04 | South Africa | International Friendly | 2 | 1 |
|||
| 2004-05 | South Africa | FIFA World Cup | 4 | 1 |
2 |
2
|
|
| 2004-05 | South Africa | International Friendly | 3 | 2 |
|||
| 2005-06 | South Africa | FIFA World Cup | 1 | ||||
| 2005-06 | South Africa | International Friendly | 1 | 1 |
1 |
||
| 2007-08 | South Africa | Africa Cup of Nations | 1 | 1 |
|||
| 2007-08 | South Africa | International Friendly | 3 | ||||
| 2008-09 | South Africa | FIFA World Cup | 2 | ||||
| 2008-09 | South Africa | International Friendly | 1 |
1
|
|||
| 2009-10 | South Africa | International Friendly | 2 | 1 |
Please note: Career stats are based on performances in the Premier and Football Leagues and (in most cases all) internationals.
International matches
| Date | Match | Result | Competition | Round | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 04 Jun 1997 | South Africa v Netherlands | L | 0-2 | International Friendly | |
| 17 Jun 1997 | Korea Republic v South Africa | D | 0-0 | World Youth Cup | Group B |
| 19 Jun 1997 | South Africa v Brazil | L | 0-2 | World Youth Cup | Group B |
| 22 Jun 1997 | South Africa v France | L | 2-4 | World Youth Cup | Group B |
| 11 Oct 1997 | France v South Africa | L | 2-1 | International Friendly | |
| 15 Nov 1997 | Germany v South Africa | L | 3-0 | International Friendly | |
| 24 Jan 1998 | Namibia v South Africa | L | 3-2 | COSAFA Cup | Qualifying round |
| 08 Feb 1998 | South Africa v Angola | D | 0-0 | Africa Cup of Nations | Group C |
| 11 Feb 1998 | South Africa v Ivory Coast | D | 1-1 | Africa Cup of Nations | Group C |
| 16 Feb 1998 | South Africa v Namibia | W | 4-1 | Africa Cup of Nations | Group C |
| 22 Feb 1998 | South Africa v Morocco | W | 2-1 | Africa Cup of Nations | Quarter-final |
| 25 Feb 1998 | South Africa v Congo DR | W | 2-1 | Africa Cup of Nations | Semi-final |
| 28 Feb 1998 | South Africa v Egypt | L | 0-2 | Africa Cup of Nations | Final |
| 20 May 1998 | South Africa v Zambia | D | 1-1 | International Friendly | |
| 25 May 1998 | Argentina v South Africa | L | 2-0 | International Friendly | |
| 06 Jun 1998 | South Africa v Iceland | D | 1-1 | International Friendly | |
| 12 Jun 1998 | France v South Africa | L | 3-0 | FIFA World Cup | Finals Group C |
| 18 Jun 1998 | South Africa v Denmark | D | 1-1 | FIFA World Cup | Finals Group C |
| 24 Jun 1998 | South Africa v Saudi Arabia | D | 2-2 | FIFA World Cup | Finals Group C |
| 03 Oct 1998 | South Africa v Angola | W | 1-0 | Africa Cup of Nations | Group 4 |
| 16 Dec 1998 | South Africa v Egypt | W | 2-1 | International Friendly | |
| 23 Jan 1999 | Mauritius v South Africa | D | 1-1 | Africa Cup of Nations | Group 4 |
| 27 Feb 1999 | South Africa v Gabon | W | 4-1 | Africa Cup of Nations | Group 4 |
| 10 Apr 1999 | Gabon v South Africa | L | 1-0 | Africa Cup of Nations | Group 4 |
| 05 Jun 1999 | South Africa v Mauritius | W | 2-0 | Africa Cup of Nations | Group 4 |
| 18 Sep 1999 | South Africa v Saudi Arabia | W | 1-0 | AFRO-ASIAN CUP OF NATIONS | 1st leg |
| 03 Jun 2000 | USA v South Africa | L | 4-0 | US NIKE CUP | |
| 07 Jun 2000 | Mexico v South Africa | L | 4-2 | US NIKE CUP | |
| 11 Jun 2000 | Republic of Ireland v South Africa | L | 2-1 | US NIKE CUP | |
| 09 Jul 2000 | Zimbabwe v South Africa | W | 0-2 | FIFA World Cup | Africa group 5 |
| 14 Sep 2000 | South Africa v Japan | L | 1-2 | Olympics | Finals Group D |
| 17 Sep 2000 | Brazil v South Africa | W | 1-3 | Olympics | Finals Group D |
| 20 Sep 2000 | Slovakia v South Africa | L | 2-1 | Olympics | Finals Group D |
| 07 Oct 2000 | South Africa v France | D | 0-0 | International Friendly | |
| 16 Dec 2000 | South Africa v Liberia | W | 2-1 | Africa Cup of Nations | Group 2 |
| 27 Jan 2001 | South Africa v Burkina Faso | W | 1-0 | FIFA World Cup | Africa group E |
| 24 Mar 2001 | South Africa v Mauritius | W | 3-0 | Africa Cup of Nations | Group 2 |
| 25 Apr 2001 | Italy v South Africa | L | 1-0 | International Friendly | |
| 05 May 2001 | South Africa v Zimbabwe | W | 2-1 | FIFA World Cup | Africa group E |
| 17 Jun 2001 | South Africa v Congo | D | 0-0 | Africa Cup of Nations | Group 2 |
| 14 Jul 2001 | South Africa v Malawi | W | 2-0 | FIFA World Cup | Africa group E |
| 15 Aug 2001 | Sweden v South Africa | L | 3-0 | International Friendly | |
| 10 Nov 2001 | South Africa v Egypt | W | 1-0 | International Friendly | |
| 15 Jan 2002 | South Africa v Angola | W | 1-0 | International Friendly | |
| 20 Jan 2002 | Burkina Faso v South Africa | D | 0-0 | Africa Cup of Nations | Finals Group B |
| 24 Jan 2002 | Ghana v South Africa | D | 0-0 | Africa Cup of Nations | Finals Group B |
| 30 Jan 2002 | Morocco v South Africa | W | 1-3 | Africa Cup of Nations | Finals Group B |
| 03 Feb 2002 | Mali v South Africa | L | 2-0 | Africa Cup of Nations | Finals quarter-final |
| 12 May 2002 | South Africa v Madagascar | W | 1-0 | International Friendly | |
| 20 May 2002 | South Africa v Scotland | W | 2-0 | REUNIFICATION CUP | |
| 23 May 2002 | Turkey v South Africa | W | 0-2 | REUNIFICATION CUP | |
| 02 Jun 2002 | Paraguay v South Africa | D | 2-2 | FIFA World Cup | Finals Group B |
| 08 Jun 2002 | South Africa v Slovenia | W | 1-0 | FIFA World Cup | Finals Group B |
| 12 Jun 2002 | South Africa v Spain | L | 2-3 | FIFA World Cup | Finals Group B |
| 22 May 2003 | South Africa v England | L | 1-2 | International Friendly | |
| 15 Nov 2003 | Egypt v South Africa | L | 2-1 | International Friendly | |
| 19 Nov 2003 | Tunisia v South Africa | L | 2-0 | International Friendly | |
| 03 Jul 2004 | South Africa v Burkina Faso | W | 2-0 | FIFA World Cup | Africa group 2 |
| 18 Aug 2004 | Tunisia v South Africa | W | 0-2 | International Friendly | |
| 05 Sep 2004 | Congo DR v South Africa | L | 1-0 | FIFA World Cup | Africa group 2 |
| 10 Oct 2004 | Uganda v South Africa | W | 0-1 | FIFA World Cup | Africa group 2 |
| 17 Nov 2004 | South Africa v Nigeria | W | 2-1 | International Friendly | |
| 09 Feb 2005 | South Africa v Australia | D | 1-1 | International Friendly | |
| 26 Mar 2005 | South Africa v Uganda | W | 2-1 | FIFA World Cup | Africa group 2 |
| 04 Jun 2005 | Cape Verde Islands v South Africa | W | 1-2 | FIFA World Cup | Africa group 2 |
| 17 Aug 2005 | Iceland v South Africa | L | 4-1 | International Friendly | |
| 03 Sep 2005 | Burkina Faso v South Africa | L | 3-1 | FIFA World Cup | Africa group 2 |
| 07 Sep 2005 | Germany v South Africa | L | 4-2 | International Friendly | |
| 09 Sep 2007 | South Africa v Zambia | L | 1-3 | Africa Cup of Nations | Group 11 |
| 12 Sep 2007 | South Africa v Uruguay | D | 0-0 | International Friendly | |
| 17 Oct 2007 | Italy v South Africa | L | 2-0 | International Friendly | |
| 17 Nov 2007 | South Africa v USA | L | 0-1 | International Friendly | |
| 19 Aug 2008 | Australia v South Africa | D | 2-2 | International Friendly | |
| 06 Sep 2008 | South Africa v Nigeria | L | 0-1 | FIFA World Cup | Africa 1st round group 4 |
| 11 Oct 2008 | Equatorial Guinea v South Africa | W | 0-1 | FIFA World Cup | Africa 1st round group 4 |
| 14 Nov 2009 | South Africa v Japan | D | 0-0 | International Friendly | |
| 17 Nov 2009 | South Africa v Jamaica | D | 0-0 | International Friendly | |
| 27 May 2010 | South Africa v Colombia | W | 2-1 | International Friendly | |
Please note: Match history is complete for the Premier and Football Leagues and (in most cases all) internationals.