AmaZulu coach Benni McCarthy has admitted that he is targeting a deep run in the Caf Champions League as the ambitious coach looks to push his side to the next level.

The former Cape Town City coach came into the club last season and immediately set the loft goal of finishing at the top end of the table despite narrowly missing out on relegation the season before.

McCarthy, however, guided Ushutu to a second-place finish in the league last year which saw them qualify for the Caf Champions League.

Benni then guided his side past the qualification rounds and into the group stages for the very first time, but according to the coach this is just the start.

“When I joined the club, I was very ambitious. I said my goal and my aim was to unsettle the top four in the league. I think it was possible with the mentality, the mindset that I have, the winning mentality and the passion. That is what I instilled in the players, we sort of just went for it,” McCarthy told Cafonline in a recent interview.

Having been drawn in group B alongside Raja Casablanca, Horoya, ES Sétifienne, McCarthy is optimistic about his side’s chances of progressing from what appears to be a daunting group.

“We said now that we reached second place and we’re into the CAF Champions League knockout stages, why stop there? We continue with that mindset that we want to achieve. We want to be among the best teams on the continent,” he added.

AmaZulu will begin their first Champions League campaign when they face off against last season’s Caf Confederation Cup champions Raja Casablanca on 11 February.