Kenyans are getting used to recently appointed Harambee Stars coach Benni McCarthy and besides football, there are some striking things about him that many do not know.
Harambee Stars coach Benni McCarthy is immersing himself into Kenyan culture, having been appointed to lead the national team last week.
McCarthy is revered for his football talents, which made him a household name in South Africa, Africa and Europe, and he is also carving out a career for himself in coaching.
As he gets to grips with what the country has to offer, Kenyans will also have to learn a few things about him besides football and Pulse Sports highlights some unique stuff that you might not have known about the South African football legend.
Benni McCarthy: 5 unique things you didn’t know about Harambee Stars coach
Benni McCarthy is multilingual
Benni McCarthy fluently speaks five languages. Photo: Imago
Benni McCarthy speaks five languages, thanks to his football career that took him from South Africa to the Netherlands with Ajax Amsterdam, Spain with Celta Vigo, Portugal with FC Porto and England with both Blackburn Rovers and West Ham United.
The 47-year-old fluently speaks Afrikaans, spoken in South Africa, English, Dutch, Spanish and Portuguese while he also has little understanding of Italian and French. This has enabled Benni McCarthy to easily work in cross-cultural dressing rooms as he can easily communicate with players from different countries.
PAY ATTENTION: Stay updated with the Latest Athletics News in Kenya from Pulse Sports
He has previously explained how he was able to work with players from Brazil, Argentina, Spain, Portugal and the Netherlands easily during his time at Manchester United as he could speak their language.
Benni McCarthy’s striking earrings
)
Benni McCarthy is known to don striking earrings.© Box to Box Regista
Benni McCarthy loves his jewelry and one stunning thing that anyone cannot miss when they spot him are his stunning diamond earrings.
McCarthy has been donning earrings since his playing days and he goes for some of the most expensive pieces.
However, those shiny piece of jewelry have landed him in trouble previously, first getting suspended while playing for FC Porto for turning up for training wearing them against team rules, while he was robbed at gunpoint in Johannesburg, South African in October 2014, when gunmen demanded his watch, earrings and wedding ring as he left a barbershop.
Story of Benni McCarthy’s tattoos
)
Benni McCarthy spots tattoos that have a deep meaning.
Benni McCarthy is also among football personalities who like to express their feelings, love and mark special occasions through tattoos.
The Bafana Bafana legend has several tattoos on his arms which have different meanings although the most striking one is a picture of his daughter’s face.
He also has another one with clouds as well as some of the titles he won through the course of his football career.
Benni McCarthy’s cross-cultural marriages
)
Benni McCarthy and his Scottish wife Stacey Munro. Photo Grab: Benni McCarthy Instagram.
Benni McCarthy also likes to embrace different cultures and this is reflected in his choice of partner.
McCarthy did not go back to South Africa to find love but was instead married to Spaniard Maria Jose-Santos from the year 2000. When that marriage ended in 2007, he took seven years to find another partner and got married to his current wife Stacey Munro, a Scottish model, in May 2014.
Benni McCarthy is a teetotaller
)
Benni McCarthy does not drink alcohol.
Benni McCarthy is among those who do not drink alcohol and for him, there is a story behind it.
Growing up, the budding footballer would watch his father go out to drink during weekends and when he came back, he was too aggressive, something a young Benni did not like.
He swore never to drink alcohol as he did not want to harm his loved ones or those around him, opting to remain sober for the rest of his life.
Benni McCarthy disclosed this in a recent interview, saying he wanted to foster a healthy environment for his children, Lio Romero, Minna McCarthy, Miya McCarthy, Allegra McCarthy and Lima Rose.
