Just one player from Kaizer Chiefs has been named in the Bafana Bafana preliminary squad, but assistant coach Dillon Sheppard has explained why this is more of a motivation than a concern.
Amakhosi only have goalkeeper Brandon Petersen in the preliminary squad and it's no guarantee that he will be part of the final squad that Hugo Broos will name in the near future.
READ: Bafana Coach Announces Preliminary Squad
Chiefs' rivals Mamelodi Sundowns and Orlando Pirates have a few players in the squad, with the DStv Premiership champions dominating the squad with Ronwen Williams, Mothobi Mvala, Khuliso Mudau, Grant Kekana, Aubrey Modiba, Teboho Mokoena, Sphelele Mkhulise, Themba Zwane and Cassius Mailula forming part of Broos' preliminary side.
Pirates, meanwhile, are represented by Innocent Maela, Nkosinathi Sibisi, Miguel Timm and Monnapule Saleng in the squad.
Sheppard, who was speaking to media ahead of their Nedbank Cup last 16 clash against Motsepe Foundation Championship side Casric Stars, said it's their responsibility to improve the players at Naturena to ensure they raise hands for national team selection.
"We are all here for the nation and it's up to the coach to select the players he feels are going to do the nation proud. We are here to support him. As a coach, we'd love to see our players in the national team, but the coach has to make a selection and we've got to support the selection and we have to work hard to improve our players so that they can be up there for selection," Sheppard said on Wednesday afternoon.
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"We need to support the coach, but we will work harder to make sure that he does select more of our players."
Bafana are due to play Liberia in back-to-back qualifiers for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations.
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