Bafana coach Hugo Broos has defended his decision to include Orlando Pirates midfielder Relebohile Mofokeng in his latest national team squad.
The 20-year-old has five South Africa caps and has been a regular contributor for his club this season, playing 35 games in all competitions, scoring eight goals and assisting a further 12.
His form in recent weeks has dropped off though, with the player seemingly struggling with fatigue.
But Broos expects Mofokeng to turn up for Bafana in two upcoming World Cup qualifiers with Lesotho and Benin over the next two weeks.
The Bafana boss said on IOL: “I knew this was going to happen.
“There is so much around Rele at the moment, teams that are interested in him; there has been a lot said about this, and also the pressure on him.
“Eight months ago, nobody knew Mofokeng and then he suddenly exploded into the scene with Pirates and he became a very good player.
“Everybody started expecting I do not know what from him, and he is still only 20-years-old and he has only been playing for a team like Pirates for only a year now.
“You can see that he is carrying a lot, and you cannot drop him now because his level is lower. I will always support him, but he has to get over this and it’s up to him.”