Bafana Bafana’s record goalscorer and AmaZulu coach Benni McCarthy believes a number of PSL stars such as Thabo Nodada and Mduduzi Mdantsane deserve a shot with the national team.

Bafana coach Molefi Ntseki named his 26-man squad that will face Ghana and Sudan in the final two 2022 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) qualifiers later this month.

Ntseki has drawn some criticism for his selection after leaving out a number of in-form players for experienced ones.

McCarthy, speaking in a virtual media conference after accepting his Coach of the Month gong for January/February on Monday, admitted that a number of players could feel hard done by not being selected.

The former Cape Town City coach picked out a number of his ex-players such as Thabo Nodada, Taariq Fielies and Gift Links, who he believes should have made 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 … your Thabo Nodadas, Mduduzi Mdantsanes, I think they’ve done exceptionally well for Cape Town City, they are worthy of an opportunity,’ said McCarthy.

‘Gift Links [who’s now on the books of Danish top-flight side Aarhus GF], 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, a central defender who’s been superb, [but] not in the squad.

‘There’re a few players at Swallows, they’ve done really well. Some of the players could feel hard done by not being called up,’ McCarthy noted.

‘I think as a player, by itself, it is disappointing that when you know you’re doing everything you can, you’re playing your heart out, you’re giving your best, you’re working hard and your form is picking up and then there are players who don’t play at their clubs and they get selected ahead of you, of course, there’s a sense of disappointment as a player.’