Cape Town City coach Benni McCarthy believes Robyn Johannes is the best defender he has seen and deserves to be in the Bafana Bafana squad.

The 31-year-old has been a vital part of the Citizens’ perfect start to the campaign, having helped City claim four wins in their first four matches of the season.

McCarthy believes the towering defender is an underrated talent in the Absa Premiership, and he believes Johannes should be ranked among the best in the league.

‘He is the most underrated defender in our league,’ McCarthy told KickOff.com.

‘I said when I joined Pirates that I couldn’t understand how this player couldn’t play in our team. Robyn is the best defender I’ve seen with the ball at his feet, and can easily even play holding midfielder.’

The City mentor believes that Johannes has what it takes to succeed in the South African national team, praising the defender’s quality on and off the ball.

‘He’s been one of the standout performers in the team, and seems to be getting younger by the day, instead of getting older,’ he added.

‘It’s a coach’s dream to have a player like that in your team. He trains at 100%, he’s always there and he always holds up his hand and is involved in everything, and is willing to die for the cause.

‘I think he’s someone that should be playing in the national team, not because he’s in my team, but because of his quality, what he brings to the team, the career he has had, the teams he’s played for … he should be in the national team, if they scout properly.’

Cape Town City are scheduled to take on Bidvest Wits in the second leg of their MTN8 semi-final clash at the Bidvest Stadium on Sunday.

The match kicks off at 15:00.