JOHANNESBURG - Cape Town City coach Benni McCarthy has challenged Safa to improve its level of communication in order to avoid the increasing number of players who are snubbing Bafana Bafana.
Recently Thulani Serero made headlines when it emerged he told Safa that he wouldn't honour a national call-up if he wasn't guaranteed game time.
Serero was unhappy with the fact that he didn’t play against Cape Verde home and away in the 2018 World Cup qualifiers. He was also benched against Burkina Faso.
The midfield maestro is enjoying his time in the Netherlands with Vitesse Arnhem where he is getting regular game time. Serero is not the first player to find himself in a battle with Safa. Dino Ndlovu and Kamohelo Mokotjo snubbed the national team under Ephraim “Shakes” Mashaba’s tenure.
Kermit Erasmus also once told Mashaba that he was not a replacement player when he was called to replace Tokelo Rantie.
McCarthy who was criticised in the past for snubbing South Africa shared his perspective on the current crisis that is facing the national team.
“I think people need to sit down with the player, the club that he plays for and our national football governing body (Safa) and come to an agreement or an understanding. They need to discuss the way forward that will benefit club, country and the player,” McCarthy explained.
"If there’s no communication there’s always going to be the situation where players don’t honour the national team call-up, and then players are the villains or vice-verse. I think that needs to change."
McCarthy didn’t want to comment directly on Serero’s scenario.
“My issues with Bafana Bafana was my issues with Bafana. I don’t know Serero’s situation. You are journalists, you guys find numbers, you can find numbers and ask him. It is not for me to talk about Bafana, Serero, Stuart Baxter or anybody. My worry is Cape Town City and the problems that I have at the moment,” McCarthy elaborated.