Did Women Doom Bafana's Benni McCarthy?
South Africa kicked off the first World Cup on African soil by taking on Mexico and playing them to a 1-1 draw. The pressure is on for Bafana Bafana, whom many see as the weakest host nation and fear their early exit.
No host nation has ever failed to make it past the group stages at a World Cup and South Africa would be hoping that they can keep it that way.
Winning games would have been simpler for South Africa had their highest goal scorer to date - Benni McCarthy - not been left out of the squad.
Benni is South Africa's most internationally accomplished player, and the reason given for his exclusion was even more surprising; he wasn't in shape! It was explained that McCarthy had put on weight which had affected his form.
However, if recent reports are to be believed, McCarthy seems to be playing extremely well and on top of his game. It is now being reported that the star-striker was actually axed because he and goalkeeper Rowen Fernandez were caught entertaining ladies at the team's hotel in Sandton, Johannesburg .
A staff member told City Press: "The two players had a few drinks after the game in the presence of female friends at the bar. The other players were there too.
They were allegedly caught with "some company" at 4 am. "
The South African team has a very strict no sex policy which they outlined in The Sowetan newspaper under the headline "No sex please we are Bafana". The players have been barred from seeing their partners during the World Cup campaign.
As if blatantly disrespecting team protocol wasn't bad enough, McCarthy is also very much a married man. The alleged incident reportedly happened after South Africa's friendly against Colombia at Soccer City in Soweto on May 27. Bafana's coach was shown a CCTV video of both the players going back to their room with some company and he immediately dropped them from the squad.
Maybe he could have left the punishment to McCarthy's wife. Lets hope Parriera's decision doesn't come back to haunt him and that South Africa don't miss the 32 goals McCarthy has scored in 78 games.
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