AmaZulu FC head coach Benni McCarthy has urged Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates to wake up as their success is crucial for South African football.

The two Soweto giants endured a disappointing 2020/21 PSL season as they failed to challenge a dominant Mamelodi Sundowns side for the league title.

Pirates finished third in the league despite having signed three quality players in Thulani Hlatshwayo, Thabang Monare, and Deon Hotto from the now-defunct Bidvest Wits.

While Chiefs were unable to reinforce their squad due to the Fifa transfer ban and they only secured a top-eight finish in the league on the last day of the season with a win over TS Galaxy.

“Listen‚ I think Pirates had a disappointing season to their standards‚ with all the signings they made‚ collecting a lot of top-class players from Bidvest Wits‚ and not being able to challenge Mamelodi Sundowns for the title,” McCarthy told the media on Wednesday.

“Or challenge me‚ at AmaZulu‚ for second place. So‚ yes‚ by their standards it’s a bit of a disappointing season.

“Kaizer Chiefs‚ on the other hand‚ were restricted by the Fifa ban‚ they brought in coach Gavin Hunt and it was a complete disaster. But then it got turned around right at the end.” 

McCarthy guided AmaZulu to their highest finish in the PSL as they finished as runners-up behind champions Sundowns.

The former Cape Town City coach believes Chiefs could have won the Caf Champions League title if it wasn’t for Happy Mashiane’s red card in the final, which Egyptian giants Al Ahly won 3-0 last weekend.

“They managed to go to the Champions League final‚ where I think they did themselves justice and did SA proud‚ because up until they went a man down they were still in it‚ and anything could have happened,” he continued. 

“They could have maybe even been crowned champions if they didn’t lose Happy Mashiane‚ and we will never know. So‚ yeah‚ they kind of salvaged their season playing in the final‚ and finishing in the [PSL] top eight at the last hurdle.

“So‚ yeah‚ both of the giant teams didn’t have the best of seasons. So this season they’ve been spending again. Chiefs have gone guns blazing; they’re buying everyone under the sun. They want to make up for the season they had.”

McCarthy, who is a former Pirates striker, was speaking in a virtual press conference looking ahead to the upcoming Carling Black Label Cup meeting between the two Soweto giants.

“So I think this game [the Black Label] is going to give us an idea on where these two teams are‚ in terms of challenging Sundowns and challenging my AmaZulu for the top honours this season,” he said. 

“I hope it’s going to be a spectacle because in SA football we need Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates to be at the top of their game‚ because that’s when our league becomes so interesting and entertaining.

“Because those two teams provide the competition‚ and the atmosphere‚ and when the fans are allowed back in the stadium‚ they provide the fans So we need these two teams to really get up there with the likes of Sundowns for our league to take the huge strides we need.”

The clash between Pirates and Chiefs will be played at Orlando Stadium on August 1.