Things can’t be better for Benni McCarthy, he’s enjoying a perfect start to his managerial career.
He is making the same sort of impact he made as a Bafana Bafana footballer.
I remember the first time the teenager was unleashed and found his scoring boots with - wait for it - four goals in a match.
Who could forget that sublime quartet of strikes in the 1998 Afcon against Namibia?
In that year, he’d go on to score South Africa’s first ever goal in a World Cup game too, shooting the ball between Peter Schmeichel’s legs - shibobo - in a 1-1 draw with Denmark.
He went on to achieve a lot in a Bafana jersey and still holds the record for the most goals for the national team.
But back to his start here at Cape Town City.
He’s off to a flyer. But like in his playing days, he’s hungry for more.
Like the Cape legend said after his fourth victory on Sunday, winning needs to become a habit.
And he is well on his way to instilling that in his players.
They’ve got those wins as you’d expect; in all sorts of ways.
His first was a stop-start, nervous affair in the first half against Polokwane, before getting the goal and finishing off with more confidence.
The second, in the PSL opener against champions Wits, they were on the ropes but pulled through after a penalty save and a set-piece.
The third was another nervy start, before a burst of three goals against Platinum Stars and then they sucker-punched Wits again.
It’s been impressive, but even more telling is Benni’s handling of wantaway skipper Lebogang Manyama.
Conflict is always a test.
Even though he and Lebo Manyama did sit vas about his star man’s lack of focus, dropping the goal-getter was the right thing.
Benni’s job, though, is to get the best out of his players and will face this sort of problem many more times in the future.
Wits boss Gavin Hunt always sounds like a bitter bek and after coming second best to Benni twice this early in the piece, it could have come off like sour grapes when he said to judge McCarthy after 1 000 games.
But the man who gave Benni his professional debut has a point; getting the best out of you players is what a coach does.
Winning and losing happens in football - the margins are small. There can only be one winner at the end of the season.
But improving and inspiring your players is your job. Do that, and winning will come.