Former South Africa forward Benni McCarthy says his four goals against Namibia at the 1998 Africa Cup of Nations finals were inspired by the grudge he held against the fellow Southern Africans whose supporters had taunted him earlier.
A first-half 14-minute goal blitz by McCarthy saw Bafana Bafana beat Namibia 4-1 to complete their Group C campaign in style on their way to the final of the tournament held in Burkina Faso.
But a few weeks before, South Africa had been stunned 3-2 by Namibia in a Cosafa Cup qualifying round match in Windhoek, in what was McCarthy’s full national team debut after making his maiden appearance against the Netherlands in June 1997.