Bafana Bafana assistant coach Helman Mkhalele has made an impassioned plea to Premier Soccer League (PSL) clubs to give his young and talented group of players representing SA at the Cosafa Cup in Durban a chance.

Mkhalele, tasked with leading the national team in the Southern African regional tournament, saw his youthful side crash out in the quarterfinals of the main competition with a 5-4 penalty shoot-out defeat to a more experienced Mozambique.

The two nations had played to a goalless draw in the 90 minutes at King Zwelithini Stadium where the young South Africans gave as good as they got and dominated most of the game. SA now shift their focus to the Plate semifinals where they meet Madagascar at Clermont's Sugar Ray Xulu Stadium on Friday (12pm).

Mkhalele believes SA has hit the jackpot with this group of youngsters, the oldest of whom, Chippa United defender Zuko Mdunyelwa, is 23.

The coach said if the group can stay together and be kept in the national team system, they have the potential to lead Bafana to the 2026 Fifa World Cup.

Mkhalele, however, said the challenge would be to make sure these players are not lost, like many previous groups with potential have been.

The former Bafana winger believes this can be achieved if these players are given game time by their parent clubs on a regular basis, which will allow them to reach their true potential.

“We have bigger plans for the players we have given an opportunity to,” Mkhalele said after the defeat.

“I’m just hoping their clubs, who I know are under pressure to win, will give them game time because it’s always difficult for us to call players to the national team who are not playing regularly at their respective teams.

“That sees us taking two steps forward and three backwards. But I’m really hoping that the clubs will also assist in that regard.

“But I’m not putting our loss down to the clubs. We take ownership of the loss and we have to go back to the drawing board and see what we can do to improve our team going forward.”

Mkahlele fielded young players such as Kaizer Chiefs’ Keletso Sifama; Orlando Pirates’ Boitumelo Radiopane, who is being loaned out to Cape Town Spurs; SuperSport United's exciting trio of Thapelo Maseko, Selaelo Rasebotja and Keagan Johannes; and Rowan Human of Maritzburg United.

The coach hopes the youngsters will not be hard on themselves for failing to help Bafana defend the title they won in Gqeberha last year.

“I’m just hoping they will use this as a lesson because I believe a disappointment like this also makes you a better person and a stronger player.”