New Bafana Bafana hero Zakhele Lepasa has been advised not to return to parent club Orlando Pirates up until current coach José Riveiro leaves the club.
The striker who is currently on loan at SuperSport United until the end of the season scored the first goal for South Africa in the 2-1 win over host Liberia in Tuesday's AFCON Qualifier.
The win guaranteed Bafana Bafana a place in next year's tournament to be played in Ivory Coast.
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According to former Pirates striker Phumlani Mkhize, SuperSport United is a good environment for Lepasa to grow.
"Zakhele Lepasa the boy who took the national team to AFCON," Mkhize tells KickOff.
"The Pirates coach made a mistake by releasing this boy. He should have given this boy a chance to play.
"The boy played well in all the games the coach fielded him in.
"Also moving to SuperSport helped him a lot as the experience he has gained has helped him a lot when it comes to scoring goals.
"He was not going to get a national call-up if he didn't leave Pirates because he would have been a bench warmer.
"His move to Matsatsantsa paved Bafana Bafana's way to AFCON after we last qualified in 2017.
"He was never given a proper chance at Pirates this boy, remember that's where he started before, he was loaned out to TS Galaxy. Pirates wouldn't have recalled him if he was not quality.
"But if the current coach is still their next season, I don't think it would be wise for him to go back there because he will never change his mind about him.
"So, the boy must stay at SuperSport, after that he can push for a move to Kaizer Chiefs or Sundowns.
"Going back to the very same coach who never made use of him won't help him.
"Riveiro believes in Kermit Erasmus, that's the reason the likes of Ndumiso Mabena are not getting game time.
"Pirates must just allow the boy to stay for another season at SuperSport unless they replace Riveiro with another coach who will believe in the quality of this boy."
