Benni has the edge over mentor Hunt

Benni McCarthy will come up against his old coach Gavin Hunt for an eighth time when AmaZulu host Kaizer Chiefs in Durban on Wednesday and has a winning record against his old mentor.

It it will be the first time they face each other in their new colors after both changed jobs with Hunt taking over at Chiefs after Bidvest Wits folded, at the end of last season, and McCarthy returning to South Africa last month to take over at AmaZulu.

McCarthy was a fresh-faced 17-year-old when Hunt first coached him at Cape Town club Seven Stars, but they never worked together again, as McCarthy went off to forge a successful career overseas, but the respect was all too evident when they came up against each other as rival coaches for the first time just over three years ago now.

McCarthy made his coaching debut against his mentor for Cape Town City and won 1-0 away over Bidvest Wits in the first match of the new league season in August 2017.

That was quickly followed by home and away wins in the MTN8 semifinal as McCarthy had it over Hunt two more times in quick succession and took City to the cup final.

Then in the first round of the Nedbank Cup in February 2018, McCarthy won again on the road in Johannesburg to take a 4-0 lead over Hunt before losing in the league at home a few weeks later.

In the next 2018-19 season, City lost at home to Wits in the league but gained revenge away from home.

McCarthy left City in October 2019 before they could play Wits last season, so he holds a 5-2 win record over Hunt.