South Africa’s most decorated footballer and class of 2000 member, Benni McCarthy, has questioned Itumeleng Khune’s selection in the South African Olympic squad. 

The all-time leading scorer feels it is unfair for overage players to come into the squad at such a late stage after the youngsters did the hard yards of securing qualification.

Both Khune and Kaizer Chiefs teammate, Erick Mathoho, were surprise inclusions in the squad with neither playing any part in the side’s triumphant Cosafa Cup campaign.

‘I don’t see the point at all,’ Khune told SunSport.

‘I believe players who fought hard to qualify should be selected. What are the chances of playing in the Olympics again? You’re killing their spirit.

‘In 2000, we took Brian Baloyi as our overage player. There was no point at all because Brian did not play. Emile Baron played all three matches.

‘We’ll be crying that we don’t have enough experience at international level and yet when opportunities come for youngsters, we snub them and choose overage players.

‘I don’t think it should be done, most countries don’t.’

McCarthy’s comments come shortly after Ajax Cape Town striker Nathan Paulse blasted the national team’s selectors for including Khune in the squad as one of the two overage players in the Rio 2016 squad.

‘I don’t see why he has been picked,’ Paulse told Sport24.

‘People throw the ‘experienced’ tag around, but I think experience only counts when you’ve achieved on that (highest) stage, which then allows you to pass on that experience.

‘Khune hasn’t done anything great for South African football as yet. I mean, South Africa hasn’t won a cup at senior level.’

Jody February, Paulse’s Ajax teammate, is the only other goalkeeper in the squad and kept his place after his heroic penalty shootout performances in the Caf u23 Afcon third-place match against hosts Senegal.