We have been starved of players scoring hat-tricks in the PSL – McCarthy

Cape Town City coach Benni McCarthy has challenged Premier Soccer League (PSL) strikers to change their mentality and become hungry for goals, as he also lashed out at the players for celebrating their lethargic approach in front of goal.

Since Siyabonga Nomvethe found the back of the net 20 times in league matches for Moroka Swallows in the 2011/12 season, PSL strikers have found it hard to reach 15 goals a season.

After Nomvethe’s exploits, only Black Leopards‘ Zambian striker Mwape Musonda has managed the second-best record when he tallied 16 league goals last term.

The goals problem hit a new low in the 2013/14 season when Kaizer Chiefs forward Bernard Parker’s 10 league strikes were the fewest ever to be managed by a Golden Boot winner.

“We need to be a bit more ruthless [in front of goal] … as if we don’t work hard enough on that in training,” McCarthy told reporters as per TimesLive.

“Players need to change their mindset in wanting to score more than one goal per game.

“If you get one‚ why not want to get two‚ or a hat-trick? We have been starved of players scoring hat-tricks in the PSL. When was the last time we had a hat-trick in the PSL? Bhele Nomvethe?”

Nomvethe is however not the last player to grab a hat-trick in the PSL, as Musonda notched a treble last season in a league game against Chippa United.

“We are satisfied with scoring one goal in a game,” McCarthy said.

“Get two. Get three. That’s how you build. That is why Messi is Messi and Ronaldo is Ronaldo. Because these guys have the mindset of goals ratio per game.

“You get one‚ there’s two out there. You get two‚ there’s three. Three‚ there’s four.

“Whereas our players have a fixed mindset‚ ‘one goal and I have done my job. I am just happy with my one goal. That’s our problem in South African football at this moment in time.”

McCarthy’s Cape Town City have scored the highest number of league goals (13) so far this season, but they have gone six straight games without tasting victory, leaving them in 10th position on the log.

In all competitions, they are on a run of eight consecutive matches without winning.