- Aaron Mokoena wants his record as the most capped Bafana Bafana player to be broken.
- The former captain also wants someone to break Benni McCarthy's goal scoring record.
- He says that improving soccer development is a way of ensuring records can be broken quickly and regularly at national level.
Former Bafana Bafana captain Aaron Mokoena believes improving soccer development in South Africa is the perfect antidote to break long-standing records in the senior national side.
The 40-year-old still holds the record as the most capped Bafana Bafana player with 107 appearances.
Meanwhile, retired star striker Benni McCarthy is still the all-time top goal scorer with 31 goals.
It is these two records that have stood the test of time for over a decade.
"Myself and Benni (McCarthy) would love to see players scoring more goals to break Benni's record and a player to be the most capped, I would love that," Mokoena said ahead of Bafana Bafana's mammoth Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) qualifying encounters against Ghana on Thursday and Sudan on Sunday.
"The fact that it is taking too long, it tells you that development is required. I mean it has been over a decade now.
"Normally when it comes to development, it's five years. When you start at the age of 12 and by the age of 16/17 you need to be playing professional, that's how it is especially in development.
"I think development is something we need to invest more in and spend more energy on, for the best of South African football and for the best of Bafana Bafana."
1. Aaron Mokoena - 107 caps
2. Itumeleng Khune - 91
3. Siphiwe Tshabalala - 89
4. Siyabonga Nomvethe - 82
5. Benni McCarthy - 80
6. Shaun Bartlett- 74
7. John Moshoeu - 73
8. Delron Buckley - 72
9. Bernard Parker - 72
10. Lucas Radebe - 70
Mokoena retired from the game in 2013 but played his last match for the national side in October 2010.
Star goalkeeper Itumeleng Khune is the only active player nearest to his tally, with 91 caps who has the chance to break Mokoena's record.
Mokoena, now an assistant coach at Cape Town City, made his debut for Bafana Bafana in February 1999. He also held the record for the youngest debutant at the age of 18 years, two months, and 26 days.
That record was eventually broken 15-years later by Mamelodi Sundowns star Rivaldo Coetzee in October 2014 at the age 17 years and 361 days. A month later, Fagrie Lakay broke the record at 17 years, five months, and 30 days and still holds it today.
Meanwhile, McCarthy's goal record has been intact for over a decade.
His last goal for Bafana Bafana was in an international friendly against Ghana at the Free State Stadium in 2008.
1. Benni McCarthy - 31 goals
2. Shaun Bartlett - 28
3. Katlego Mphela - 23
4. Bernard Parker - 23
5. Phil Masinga - 19
6. Siyabonga Nomvethe - 16
7. Sibusiso Zuma - 13
8. Percy Tau - 12
9. Tokelo Rantie - 12
10. Siphiwe Tshabalala - 12
McCarthy also holds the record as the only player to score a hat-trick in the national senior colours.
The feat, which was four goals in under 21 minutes, came against neighbours Namibia in February 1998.
He retired in 2013 and is the current AmaZulu FC head coach.