It is said that a week is a long time in politics.
But South African striker Benni McCarthy must be feeling the same about football following his two fine goals for Porto in Wednesday night's Champions League clash with Manchester United.
Just last week, the 26-year-old's place in the starting line-up against the English champions was in jeopardy after he was sent down to the reserves by Porto boss Jose Mourinho.
Mourinho was furious when he learnt that McCarthy had been spotted partying in Vigo, a town just across the Spanish border, two days before Porto's key league encounter with Benfica.
McCarthy was dropped to the bench for last Sunday's league encounter against Vitoria Guimaraes, but came on to score a late penalty and secure his place as Porto's top scorer with 13 league goals.
And on Wednesday, Mourinho's selection of McCarthy in Porto's starting line-up against United paid dividends when the 26-year-old showed South Africa what they had been missing during the Nations Cup.
"What Benni did was great" Mourinho said of his forward's display.
Three weeks to the day after Bafana Bafana exited Tunisia 2004 in the group stages, having scored just three goals in the competition, McCarthy grabbed a brilliantly-executed brace to remind South African fans of what he can do.
First, he turned home Pedro Mendes' low cross with a first-time volley which he fired past goalkeeper Tim Howard to cancel out fellow South African Quinton Fortune's early United goal.
 McCarthy scores his second against United |
With the game looking set to end 1-1, up popped McCarthy for his second goal of the night with an exquisite finish.
Porto's Nuno Valente swung in a hopeful cross from just inside the United half which McCarthy rose to meet and power home from a narrow angle off the underside of the crossbar.
"It was an incredible, absolutely fantastic header," said Manchester United boss Alex Ferguson.
"There is nothing you can do about something like that."
However, many believe that former South Africa coach Ephraim 'Shakes' Mashaba could have done more to secure McCarthy's place in Tunisia 2004.
The 26-year-old missed the tournament after clashing with Mashaba who wanted McCarthy to make himself available for a training camp from 10 January, the start of the two-week period before a major continental championship allowed by Fifa for player call-ups.
McCarthy wanted to stay with his club until just before the Nations Cup kicked off on 24 January and when Mashaba refused the striker any leeway, McCarthy pulled out of Bafana Bafana's Nations Cup squad altogether.
The striker was keen to stay with Porto to further his prospects at the club, which he certainly did on Wednesday.
Ironically, McCarthy grabbed two of his finest goals against a club that was rumoured to be keen on signing the young South African just prior to the 2002 World Cup.
Yet the deal never happened and now it seems the player himself has lost the belief that United were ever seriously interested in signing him.
"That was the rumour," McCarthy explained.
"I wish it were true but unfortunately, I do not have the potential to play in a big team like that.
"I can play in England but if I play in England, I don't want to be a bench player.
"That's why I don't think I have the potential to play at Manchester United. They have too many good players already."
Yet this is not a view that neutral observers of Wednesday's encounter would necessarily agree with.
MMIX
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