McCarthy Sees Advantage Of Having No Fans
AmaZulu coach, Benni McCarthy has acknowledged the advantage his team might have in playing ES Setif with no fans in the stadium. AmaZulu is currently three points ahead of ES Setif and McCarthy would dearly love to keep the status quo and playing in an empty stadium could help the cause.
“It becomes more easier for us to play because we can play our own game. The pressure is not so much even though Setif is a very good team and they will come with good quality football,” McCarthy said ahead of the Group B CAF Champions League encounter.
A draw or a win for AmaZulu will almost certainly guarantee them at least second place in the group that includes Morocco’s Raja Casablanca and Horoya AC of Guinea. The absence of passionate Algerian support will relieve a lot of pressure. Many a club has found it difficult to deal with the atmosphere generated by North African fans with flares, lasers, and noise levels proving a menace.
“It is better to play eleven against eleven than when you play with eleven and they have twelve with the fanatic. We know the passion of the Algerian fans, how they can always bring the best of the team. So them(ES Setif) not having their fans gives us an equal playing field,” noted the AmaZulu mentor.
It has been a good run for Benni McCarthy and AmaZulu in their maiden appearance in the CAF Champions League and the Bafana Bafana legend will look to keep it going, regardless of how many fans are allowed into the stadium.
