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Benni's Tough Love To Pirates: 'That's Not Good Enough'

Benni's Tough Love To Pirates: 'That's Not Good Enough'

MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - MARCH 19: Manchester United's Benni McCarthy looks on before the Emirates FA Cup clash between Manchester United and Fulham at Old Trafford on March 19, 2023 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images)

Manchester United first team coach Benni McCarthy says his former club Orlando Pirates' cup double success "is not good enough" and that they need to challenge Mamelodi Sundowns for the league title.

Read: Pirates Chase Free Agent Jali?

Pirates won the MTN8 and Nedbank Cup double in the recently completed season, in head coach Jose Riveiro's first campaign at the club.

Riveiro, although he was doubted early in the season, has received praise for winning two cups and taking the club back to the CAF Champions League after finishing in second place on the Premiership standings. 

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However, McCarthy says by Pirates' standards, winning two cups is "not good enough" and suggested that the yardstick of their success has to be in the league. 

"It's hard, because you play all year to compete to win the league, so winning the MTN8 is great, winning the Nedbank Cup is also great but I think the big one that you chase is the league," McCarthy said in an interview on Marawa Sports Worldwide.

"They've had a great season but by their standards, that's not good enough, you know. You're supposed to be pushing Sundowns all the way to the wire.

"It should be a far more closer contest than what it is. It's a one-horse race in our league at the moment you know, and I hope that the progress Pirates is making, the new manager what he's doing at the club, that he can push to make the league more interesting than what it was before when we had three, four teams always battling it out and it can go either way, almost down to the wire," he said.  

Read: Pirates Enquire About Kapinga?

The Bafana Bafana all-time leading goal scorer went on to challenge other teams in the Premiership to raise their game and challenge Sundowns because as things stand, the league race has become a forgone conclusion and "that's not fun". 

"But the last few years it has just been a one-way traffic and that's not fun. Every other team they've got to raise their game to compete and make the league better than what it is," he said.

"Because now after the first game, they might as well just hand over the trophy to Sundowns, because that's exactly what's happening," he added.  

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