AmaZulu head coach Benni McCarthy says seeing the quality of football played in North Africa has been eye-opening for him, and playing against continental opponents has been a great learning experience.
McCarthy was speaking as Algerian club ES Setif host Usuthu in the CAF Champions League on Saturday night at the Stade du 5 Juillet 1962.
Usuthu are currently second in Group B on six points after three games, three behind leaders Raja Casablanca, and three ahead of Setif.
AmaZulu are making their debut in the CAFCL, and the former Bafana Bafana star says it has been a great learning experience, especially coming up against unfamiliar opponents
“Yes, listen, I think the organisation is really great,” McCarthy said at the pre-match press conference.
“And the standard of the football is very high.
“You know, when you play in South African League, you play against teams that you know very well, but now you come up against Setif, where you didn’t know the players before.
“And when you play against them, and you see how unbelievably strong, very good African teams, North African teams, the quality of players domestic that the teams have. So yeah, it’s been an eye-opener.
“And when you see the success from the national team when you see how good Algeria national team is doing, you kind of get the understanding why they are so good.
“Because when you play in the CAF Champions League, you see the quality players that the teams has at club level.
“And then you get to understand, okay, the success from Egypt, the success from Morocco, the success from Algeria, the success from other countries, because you see, when you play in the CAF Champions League, how good the players are in their domestic league that makes the national teams very good.
“So for myself, and for my team, it’s been a very good experience. And we hope that we can continue to play in this competition, because it will only make South Africa and myself, better coach, better players, to get to a higher level.”
