PSL rivals jostle to net Benni

Kaizer Chiefs on Thursday refused to rule out the possibility of signing Benni McCarthy, as a move to the Premier Soccer League for Bafana Bafana’s leading all-time scorer appears ever more likely.

Chiefs’ Soweto rivals Orlando Pirates are favourites to land McCarthy, though the former Ajax Amsterdam, Celta Vigo, FC Porto, Blackburn Rovers and West Ham United striker is currently training in the Mother City with Ajax Cape Town.

The Amakhosi on Thursday confirmed the badly-kept secret of the arrival of Bafana striker Bernard Parker from FC Twente, while Knowledge Musona has had his move to German Bundesliga side TSG 1899 Hoffenheim signed, sealed and delivered.

Coach Vladimir Vermezovic hinted that Chiefs were now targeting “one (more) national player … I have five strikers now and another one I hope is coming”.

After mentioning a “big fish in Cape Town”, Chiefs team manager Bobby Motaung, when pressed on McCarthy, added: “We are talking with the coach about a national team player. Anything is possible. Where there is talent, we don’t close the book. We are still looking at others, and making assessments. We need to have a quality squad.”

It could be that Chiefs are merely attempting to rile their Soweto rivals Pirates with such comments, but the developments in the coming days will certainly be interesting.

Parker’s arrival, meanwhile, on a two-year deal, can be one of genuine excitement for Amakhosi fans, though he is by no means a prolific goalscorer in the Musona mould.

“We want to make it clear … he (Parker) is not a replacement for Musona. No one can replace Musona. (But) he is one of the additions the coach mentioned on his wish list,” said Motaung.

Vermezovic added: “Parker is a player I know from Serbia (Parker had a brief stint at Red Star Belgrade) – he did not have a lot of chances to play there. But I also know him from Bafana. In the beginning it will be difficult for him, because he has not played a lot of games, and we will have to be very careful with him.”

Now 25, Parker endured a frustrating time in the Netherlands after joining Twente from Red Star in 2009, getting very little game time, though he did have a loan spell at Panserraikos in Greece during the second half of last season

Parker’s agent, Mike Makaab, said the striker had turned down potential moves to Malmo and Helsingborg in Sweden to join Chiefs.

“He just felt from a career point of view that this was the right move to make,” said Makaab.

“He is excited about coming to Chiefs.”

The 21-year-old Musona, meanwhile, finally signed a five-year deal with Hoffenheim on Tuesday, after protracted negotiations between the two sides.

“When I heard it was the Bundesliga, I didn’t think about making a decision, I just accepted it because I knew it was one of the best leagues in the world,” said Musona.

“I will make myself strong and tell myself I can make it,” said the striker.

“We have followed Knowledge for a short period of time and what we have seen is astonishing,” added Hoffenheim sporting director Ernst Tanner.

“He is a young, good person, he has been very accepted by the team.

“I wish him all the best to integrate himself into German culture.”