Benni: If That Was A South African Player, He'd Be Gone

Bafana Bafana legend Benni McCarthy has reacted to Achraf Hakimi's controversial challenge on Vinicius Junior during Morocco's 1-1 draw with Brazil, suggesting a South African player would not have escaped punishment for a similar incident.

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Morocco Hold Brazil In Entertaining World Cup Clash

The Atlas Lions continued their impressive run on the international stage after holding five-time world champions Brazil to a draw in a thrilling 2026 FIFA World Cup encounter.

Morocco took the lead in the 21st minute through Ismael Saibari, who capitalised on defensive lapses to put the North Africans ahead.

However, their advantage lasted just over 10 minutes as Vinicius Junior produced a moment of quality to bring the Selecao level and ensure the two sides went into the break on equal terms.

While the result itself attracted plenty of attention, one of the biggest talking points emerged from an incident involving Hakimi and Vinicius during the second half.

The Paris Saint-Germain full-back appeared to catch the Brazilian star with a robust challenge, but neither a free-kick nor a card was awarded as play continued.

The decision surprised many observers, including McCarthy, who had recently witnessed South Africa receive two red cards during their World Cup opener against Mexico.

Speaking on SportyTV, the former Manchester United and Blackburn Rovers striker questioned whether players from different nations are judged by the same standards.

"If that was a South African player, he would be gone," McCarthy said, according to Foot Africa.

"That was very naughty from Hakimi. He proper caught Vinny Jnr. I know it's not deliberate, but he caught him," the former Cape Town City coach added.

McCarthy then went on to suggest that there are inconsistencies in how incidents are officiated on the international stage.

"Tell me about the bias towards certain countries, and certain players," he continued.

"When it's Afrique du Sud (South Africa), then it's a different ball game."

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