It is often part of a coach's job to take risks, but it appears Bafana Bafana's mentor has bet the farm on players whose football future looks far from bright. Ephraim "Shakes" Mashaba's first five months as national coach were a breath of fresh air.He got rid of most of the players who made up the team for 2010 World Cup and brought in a number of the under-20 players he had led to CAF Youth Championships qualification.As a result, Bafana qualified for the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations in style. Two 17-year-olds in particular - Rivaldo Coetzee and Fagrie Lakay - brought a notable energy to the new-look Bafana.Mashaba had the country in his spell. But now the notorious tinkerer has decided to put his faith in a number of PSL rejects.One wonders: Does Mashaba even know who his strongest starting XI would be?Two weeks ago, fans at the Cosafa Cup were baffled to see Carl Lark wearing the national jersey .Lark, 21, is an Ajax Cape Town reject who made almost no impact in the PSL last season before being released to Santos in the National First Division.Tlou Segolela - an Orlando Pirates reject - was recalled.The Platinum Stars winger's credentials were questionable even in his prime, when his failure to capitalise on his explosive pace was often in evidence.While these two were in, Mashaba's promising, pacey U-20 forwards Fagrie Lakay and Siyanda Ngubo were nowhere to be seen.Mashaba's mandate from Safa is to rebuild.In his first five months, the coach managed to harness the energy of youth to steer Bafana to qualification for their first major tournament since 2008.But even at the Afcon finals, after proving there was method to his madness, it was puzzling that Mashaba excluded on-form Kaizer Chiefs defender Tefu Mashamaite, a man who would have provided excellent cover to the centre-back position.The coach's decision to rotate goalkeepers was another curiosity.Mashaba has included Mashamaite and Clayton Daniels, both 30, in the squad to face Gambia in Saturday's Afcon qualifier in Durban. This is understandable given the cover needed for the injured Mulomowandau Mathoho.But where are the under-20 players, and why has the coach backtracked on a successful formula?And what purpose is served by a call-up for Moroka Swallows' 28- year-old forward Vuyisile Wana, the scorer of only three league goals last season?Mashaba's explanation is that Wana "might have been relegated [with Swallows] but he has been doing well, so needs to be given a chance".Supporters will hope that Mashaba rediscovers his magic touch - and his selection acumen - in the coming months' qualifiers, or it could prove costly for both the coach and the national team...