Former Bafana Bafana coach Shakes Mashaba says he would be willing to return to the national team if asked.

It has been 25 months since Mashaba was fired as Bafana boss after a fallout with the leadership at Safa.

Things have not been rosy at Bafana since Stuart Baxter took over, with the team failing to qualify for the 2018 Fifa World Cup and now in an uncertain position in the Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.

Asked if he would be willing to help Bafana again, Mashaba said: "I don't think I can play a role of assisting but a role of adviser or technical something maybe, but not to assist.

"How can you assist someone who has not achieved what you have achieved? There would be confrontation and there won't be harmony."

Bafana need a positive result away against Libya on March 22 to guarantee their ticket. While a draw could still book their qualification, Mashaba said a win is vital. "This Libya game is a must win and it must give us the dignity we deserve because we must not go to Afcon and have people say we were lucky to be there," he said.

Mashaba also called on Safa to give Baxter the necessary support going forward.

"We have not been reading good things in the past two weeks with the coach saying he is not getting support and so on. He needs all the support."