AmaZulu coach McCarthy queries Ntseki's Bafana selections

AmaZulu coach Benni McCarthy says there are players from his former team Cape Town City as well as Swallows FC who were unlucky not to be selected in the latest Bafana Bafana squad.

McCarthy, who on Monday was named as the PSL Coach of the Month for January/February, was commenting on the national team selected to do duty later this month in two Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers - against Ghana at the FNB Stadium in Johannesburg on March 25, and away in Sudan at the El Hilal Stadium on March 28.

AmaZulu goalkeeper Veli Mothwa, as well as Craig Martin of Cape Town City, Orlando Pirates midfielder Ben Motshwari and Ruzaigh Gamildien, the man in form for Swallows FC, all stand a chance to earn their first senior caps in a competitive fixture - Gamildien played a couple of friendlies for South Africa, eight years ago.

However, McCarthy believes there are several other players from City and Swallows who could potentially also have been included in the squad.

“I do feel for a lot of the players that I am able to watch up closely in the PSL, they’ve done exceptionally well - Thabo Nodada, Mduduzi Mdantsane, I think they've done exceptionally well for Cape Town City, they are worthy of an opportunity," McCarthy said in an online chat with the media.

“Gift Links [a former City player now based with Danish side Aarhus] - I follow European football and he’s a player who’s doing very well. He’s playing at his club, scoring goals.

"I am not a national team coach, that’s just my opinion. You have the likes of Taariq Fielies [who plays for Cape Town City], a central defender who’s been superb, but not in the squad.’

“There are a few players at Swallows, they’ve done really well. Some of the players could feel hard done by not being called up," the former Bafana Bafana, Porto, Blackburn Rovers and Orlando Pirates marksman added.

Bafana Bafana squad:

Goalkeepers:

Ronwen Williams (SuperSport United)
Itumeleng Khune (Kaizer Chiefs)
Veli Mothwa (AmaZulu)

Defenders:

Mosa Lebusa (Mamelodi Sundowns)
Innocent Maela (Orlando Pirates)
Sifiso Hlanti (Swallows FC)
Thibang Phete (Belenenses SAD‚ Portugal)
Siyanda Xulu (Hapoel Tel Aviv‚ Israel)
Thulani Hlatshwayo (Orlando Pirates)
Thapelo Morena (Mamelodi Sundowns)
Craig Martin (Cape Town City)

Midfielders:

Andile Jali (Mamelodi Sundowns)
Luther Singh (Paços Ferreira‚ Portugal)
Dean Furman (Carlisle United‚ England)
Bongani Zungu (Rangers‚ Scotland)
Keagan Dolly (Montpellier‚ France)
Percy Tau (Brighton & Hove Albion‚ England)
Sipho Mbule (SuperSport United)
Rivaldo Coetzee (Mamelodi Sundowns)
Themba Zwane (Mamelodi Sundowns)
Thulani Serero (Al Jazira‚ Abu Dhabi)
Ben Motshwari (Orlando Pirates)

Forwards:

Ruzaigh Gamildien (Swallows FC)
Lyle Foster (Vitoria Guimaraes‚ Portugal)
Kermit Erasmus (Mamelodi Sundowns)
Bradley Grobler (SuperSport United)