Former Bafana Bafana striker Patrick Mayo has revealed what he told his son Khanyisa Mayo ahead of the national team's camp in Algeria.
The 2023 Africa Cup Of Nations bronze medalists are currently in Algeria where they will play two matches against Andorra and Algeria.
South Africa will first face minnows Andorra on Thursday at the 19 May 1956 Stadium in Annaba, before taking on the Desert Foxes at the Nelson Mandela Stadium in Algiers on 26 March.
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Khanyisa was not part of the Hugo Broos' AFCON squad that finished third in Ivory Coast, despite being the DStv Premiership goalscorer at the time.
"I'm so happy to see him back with the national team, I've been encouraging him not to worry because his chance will come," Mayo tells KickOff.
"I'm sure he will grab the opportunity with both hands, I started talking to him before he even received the recent call-up.
"I told him not to lose hope, but to continue playing well for his club and focus on his game, as long as you are performing you will leave them no choice, just make sure they find you ready when the time comes.
"I told him not to give up, but to wait for his chance, and indeed just recently I received a call from him informing me that he has been called up by coach Hugo Broos. As a family, we were so happy for him.
"My next advice to him was, whatever you do, do so with a positive attitude, the only way to prove a coach wrong is to perform on the pitch.
"I asked him to put in 100% effort in everything he does in these two friendly matches because I also don't know what changed for them to bring him back into the Bafana fold.
"What I know is that he never stopped performing well week in and week out for his team Cape Town City, he is not supposed to be the only one scoring goals there at City though. So he cannot be judged on that only.
"Even if you don't score for Bafana Bafana, but at least make an assist and create chances for your teammates.
"That's what I told him ahead of the trip to Algeria.
"I told him to be a team player and not try to be selfish. If I was the coach I wouldn't play him as a box-to-box striker.
"Instead I would tell him to stay inside the opposition's box so that the likes of Themba Zwane would play around him because he is a finisher.
"Yes, it's important for him to assist in defense, but not for the whole 90 minutes. As Mark Williams says, stay in the kitchen."
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