Bafana Bafana Legend Benni McCarthy Slams Jose Mourinho Over Vinicius Junior Remarks
- Bafana Bafana legend Benni McCarthy criticised Jose Mourinho over his comments on Vinicius Junior’s celebration
- Racism allegations emerged after Real Madrid’s Vinicius Junior faced abuse during a UEFA Champions League clash with Benfica
- UEFA and Benfica launched investigations into the alleged discriminatory behaviour of fans and a teammate
Bafana Bafana legend and current Kenyan national football team head coach Benni McCarthy has commented on remarks made by his former FC Porto and Benfica manager Jose Mourinho, in light of the racist abuse Real Madrid forward Vinicius Junior experienced on Tuesday, 17 February 2026, during the UEFA Champions League match between Real Madrid and Benfica.
Source: Instagram
Mourinho criticised Vini's celebration during the match. Commenting after Mourinho's post-match remarks, McCarthy said the situation could have been handled better and suggested that Jose Mourinho should have chosen his words more carefully.
He added that emotions may have got the better of Mourinho, but insisted the statement made was wrong. McCarthy, who has worked in England as a strikers coach for Manchester United, further noted that it was disappointing to hear such remarks from someone who had previously advocated for African players and the African continent, saying the comments appeared contradictory and were not pleasant to witness.
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However, he concluded by suggesting that it was likely an emotional reaction in the heat of the moment, as Mourinho may have felt compelled to defend his team before later realising he had made a poor call, emphasising that everyone is human and capable of making mistakes.
UEFA launch investigations into racism allegations
Benfica have launched an investigation into the matter, which involved two supporters who were seen on camera making what appeared to be monkey gestures directed at Vinicius Junior. During the same match, Vinicius made serious accusations against Benfica's Argentine midfielder Gianluca Prestianni of racially abusing him. Prestianni, 20, denied the allegations, and his club has supported him, claiming instead that he was the victim of defamation.
European football's governing body UEFA has said it will "investigate allegations of discriminatory behaviour." Portuguese media on Friday claimed that Benfica had begun their own investigation into the fans' behaviour.
Source: Getty Images
Allegations of racism continue to take the spotlight in sporting events in 2026, despite campaigns by sports bodies promoting a “no to racism” stance. An Irish rugby star also faced racial abuse on social media after making his international debut in the Six Nations match between Ireland and Italy on Saturday, 14 February 2026.
Football fans second McCarthy's comments
Fans weighed in the matter and were in full support of McCarthy's words:
@ZunguMthoko:
''This will be good for Mourinho to hear it coming from Benny given they have a relationship.''
@Edward_G8:
''His pride won’t allow him to apologize.''
@XolaniMamkeli:
''Mourinho was very wrong. He cannot take the side of a perpetrator.''
@Vums9c:
"Yes Benito! It was uncalled for.''
Rassie Erasmus revives iconic Nike Springboks ad
Briefly News previously reported that Springboks head coach Rassie Erasmus went nostalgic on Sunday, 11 January 2026, when he shared a classic Nike advert that aimed at the England rugby team.
The move has been read as the latest mind game from the veteran tactician as the Springboks and England prepare to reignite their rivalry in July.
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Source: Briefly News
