Former South Africa international Benson Mhlongo pleads with Hugo Broos to reconsider the partnership of Siyanda Xulu and Grant Kekana at the centre of the national team's defence.
Bafana Bafana's defense conceded three goals on Tuesday during the 3-3 draw with Algeria.
"Conceding three goals it's a concern, it shows this pairing of Siyanda Xulu and Grant Kekana doesn't work," Mhlongo, a defender par excellence in heyday, tells KickOff.
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"I don't think Xulu still fits in the Bafana Bafana team. Some players are taking time to adjust in the international arena. I'm surprised by Xulu though because he's got all the experience having played overseas and all that.
"But for me, I think age and pace are against him," he adds.
The Alexandra-born former player is also of the view that the selection criteria for the national team needs to be relooked as feels some of the players currently selected are not deserving of a place in the squad.
"But as for the likes of Nyiko Mobbie... they are still young, and they haven't played that many international games. We can see potential in the likes of Nyiko Mobbie. It's just that some players take a long time to adjust to the international level, it's not the same as the club level.
"At the international level, you are up against the best players from another country. At the moment, I don't think we are selecting our best defenders for our national team. I think we are selecting players we wish to see or we would like to see make it at the higher level," says the 43-year-old.
Mhlongo adds that the goalkeeping department is another one of particular concerns and suggests a way that could ensure a flow of goal minders into the national fold.
"Even with goalkeepers, we are struggling at the moment. Look at the number of goalkeepers we currently have in the country, mostly they are foreigners.
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"If we can introduce the U23 rule in the Motsepe Foundation Championship, what stopping us from introducing a rule in the PSL about the foreign goalkeepers? It's clear our teams don't want to give South African goalkeepers a chance. I don't know if we don't have enough goalkeeper coaches to produce keepers or what."
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