‘We had a bond’: Benni McCarthy reflects on his friendship with AKA [VIDEO]

In a recent interview, Benni McCarthy reflected on his bond with Kiernan “AKA” Forbes, saying the late rap artist is the only person who would’ve convinced him to have another stint at music.

“The closest person that could’ve gotten me back into music or doing anything remotely was the late AKA,” said South Africa’s all-time leading goal scorer in his interview on 5FM’s Breakfast show this week.

“He was someone that was really special, we had a bond me and him, we’d always be in contact,” said McCarthy.

“AKA” and his friend, celebrity chef Tebello ‘Tibz’ Motsoane were fatally shot in early 2023 outside a Durban nightclub in KwaZulu-Natal.

McCarthy said he was devastated by the news of the rapper’s demise. “I was completely devastated when I found out what has [sic] happened,” he said.

At the time of AKA’s passing the former Porto striker was England-based, working as an assistant coach at Premier League club Manchester United.

ALSO READ: Remembering Kiernan “AKA” Forbes, The Dreamer on what would’ve been his 36th birthday

The AKA McCarthy bond

After AKA’s death, Manchester United, a club he supported, paid tribute to him in the matchday programme.

 “We were deeply saddened to learn of the death of Kiernan Forbes, otherwise known as AKA, a rapper and United supporter from South Africa. He was a huge red greatly admired by so many,” averred the note in the match day booklet.

McCarthy also captioned photos of himself with AKA, with a message of condolence to the Forbes family.

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In his last album Mass Country, on the song Mbuzi featuring Thato Soul, AKA played a clip of  McCarthy wrapping up an interview on Robert Marawa’s radio show. When translated the word ‘Mbuzi’ means goat.

The latter has been used as an acronym for Greatest Of All Time. By placing that clip at the beginning of the song, it was as though AKA was paying homage to McCarthy and Marawa as goats in their own right, as he was also seen in his field.

ALSO READ: Benni McCarthy responds to reports he could join Sundowns

McCarthy’s first, maybe last music stint…

In the late 90s after South Africa’s qualification to the FIFA World Cup, Tkzee released Shibobo where they featured McCarthy.

“That was the weirdest moment, to be honest,” said McCarthy on The Dan Nicholl Show a few years ago.

“We all think we can sing when we’re in the shower or the toilet, no problem. But when you’re asked…at first I thought it was gonna [sic] be just for a laugh, but yea when it came out I was stunned,” said the coach.

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“People were referring to me as ‘Benni McCarthy Shibobo, great singer’ and I’m thinking, ‘I’m a footballer, not a singer’. It [the song] made me get different fans as well, it was fun to do but I’ll never ever do it again.”

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