Bafana Bafana coach Shakes Mashaba has hit out at Mamelodi Sundowns boss Pitso Mosimane but is still backing the club for continental glory.

Mosimane and Mashaba have quarreled in recent weeks as the former looks to keep his players fresh for his club’s Caf Champions League commitments while Mashaba is aiming to build a squad capable of qualifying for the 2018 World Cup in Russia.

While criticising Mosimane over comments Sundowns stars should be rested for national team commitments, the coach has nevertheless admitted that Caf Champions League glory would raise the spirits of the whole country.

‘I always say a nation without history will never be able to determine its future. If they go on and win that cup, it’s not just Sundowns but Bafana [who] will benefit,’ Mashaba told Daily Sun.

Mosimane had wanted all four of his Bafana Bafana stars to be released ahead of the country’s clash against Ghana on Tuesday, while the Champions League final first-leg is set to take place on Saturday.

‘We want to say Pitso and the club president Patrice Motsepe, we wish them the best of luck. We can only hope they go on and win it,’  he said. ‘Pitso is a coach, he knows I’m a coach and there’s what we call coaching ethics. Ours is to say let’s go sit over a cup of coffee,’ Mashaba added.

‘Give me a call and say “coach I have this kind of problem, how can we solve it now”, instead of telling me about [Orlando] Pirates and Parreira. I’m not Parreira, I’m Ephraim and I’m given a job to do,’ Mashaba concluded.

Bafana Bafana conceded an injury-time goal to draw their opening World Cup qualifier 1-1 against Burkina Faso on Saturday.