'Benni still not needed'

Pitso Mosimane has insisted there is no place for Benni McCarthy in Bafana Bafana, despite his team's continued inability to score goals.

Calls for McCarthy's inclusion have grown louder of late as the Bafana coach battles to find a prolific forward to partner with prime striker Katlego Mphela.

There were some positives that could be drawn from the goalless draw against Senegal on Wednesday night, but the fact is: none of the new recruits looked the part.

"Really guys, you're still on the same topic? We've answered this before. Can we get past this [Benni McCarthy] question now," Mosimane responded when asked if he could consider bringing the Pirates hitman back from international retirement.

"We're building a team for the future and we need to give youngsters a chance. Yes, there is a problem as far as scoring is concerned, but we will turn the corner," he said.

McCarthy's improved form and quality have been too much to ignore of late as the veteran striker proves key to Orlando Pirates' ambitions this season.

When asked, three months ago, if he could consider a recall to Bafana, McCarthy expressed reluctance. Yet he did acknowledge the fact that his experience could still prove useful to the youngsters, most of whom are still finding their feet on the bigger international stage.

Again Mosimane's players created good scoring chances, but they were not decisive and clinical enough to break their eight-match winless streak as they played out to a dull stalemate against the Teranga Lions at home.

But the coach said his side needed to build up their confidence, suggesting that one way to do that might be to play against weaker opponents.

"We need to start scoring goals, just to get the boys' confidence back," said the Bafana coach, who has previously maintained he did not want to play friendlies against any team outside the top 10 in Africa.

"Maybe we do need to beat a smaller team 4-0 before we play Ethiopia in the [first of South Africa's] World Cup qualifiers on June 1."

He said playing against "smaller teams" was not the right way, but that perhaps this was now an option because "we need time".

"I can't be expected to make my team score goals when I have only had two days before a major game."

He will, however, have more time to prepare for the clash against Ethiopia as the football season comes to an end in May.

"We have young players in this team and that means we sometimes don't have the experience we desire. But give us time and we will produce positive results. We will break the ice. One day it will come," the coach said.

He said even if a match against a smaller team could not be arranged ahead of the World Cup qualifiers, he believed Bafana would score against Ethiopia .

Bafana's record win came against world football minnows in Guatemala. That 5-0 thrashing before the 2010 World Cup is, however, now clouded in controversy and suspicion of having been fixed.