Mobara, who has played for Cape Town City FC and Orlando Pirates in the past, joined Usuthu from the Citizens two weeks ago.
The 27-year-old Ajax Cape Town youth academy product is a utility player, able to play at centre-back, right-back or in central midfield and played under McCarthy when he was in charge of the Citizens.
And McCarthy has hinted that he believes Mobara’s best position is in the centre of the park and views him as an ideal replacement for Sithebe, who has been frozen out and is set to join Amakhosi in the next transfer window.
“Well, we’re losing Sithebe to Chiefs. He’s a midfielder and so it opens up a nice space for Mobara,” McCarthy told Times Live.
“I know he’s [Mobara] a right-back, he’s good at right-back. But in that position we have [Thembela] Sikhakhane, [Mbongeni] ‘Shoes’ Gumede and Kgotso Moleko and so competition is good there.
“But in midfield I think you want to dominate, you want to dictate matches and Mobara has that intelligence.
“He’s got the skills, work ethic and he’s got the intelligence to play in that role. So one door closes with Sithebe and with Mobara one opens.”
Meanwhile, the Usuthu mentor admits he would have liked one or two more signings to add to the acquisitions of Mobara and Sudanese striker Abraham Majok, but did express gratitude to the club for working hard to bolster the squad.
“I would have wanted maybe an extra two or three more players, just for the depth,” said Bafana Bafana’s all-time top goalscorer,” said Bafana Bafana’s all-time top goalscorer.
“You go to play in the CAF Champions League and then you come back two days later and you play in the league. Look what travelling on the continent did to us when we played Sekhukhune United [they lost 2-0 in October] after coming back from the DRC [to play TP Mazembe].
“It was tough, but if you have two good players in each position, you can juggle the team around.”
Usuthu face Moroccan giants Raja Casablanca at the Stade Mohammed V in Morocco on Saturday evening in the CAF Champions League group stages.
