With the Caf Champions League around the corner, former Kaizer Chiefs left-back David Nyathi says Amakhosi will profit from the experience gained by their players at the recent Africa Cup of Nations tournament.
"It will definitely be a boost for Chiefs. The players will have learned from playing against their peers on the continent. The experience will be invaluable and they can only get better from it," Nyathi said.
"Besides the extra game-time, because the players were actively involved in the tournament they will be able to add value to the club when they compete in the Champions League."
Bafana were disappointingly knocked out in the group stages of Afcon, after two losses and a draw in group C.
Amakhosi had five players -- Mandla Masango, Reneilwe Letsholonyane, Bernard Parker, Brilliant Khuzwayo and Eric Mathoho -- in the Bafana Bafana squad at Afcon in Equatorial Guinea.
The quintet had been key players in the Bafana set-up since coach Shakes Mashaba took over the reins last August.
When Afcon ends next month, Chiefs resume their campaign with a heavy schedule of fixtures that includes competing in Africa.
They open their continental account with a clash against Botswana's Township Rollers on February 14 at FNB Stadium.
Nyathi, who was a favourite with the Chiefs faithful in the 90s, said the team would have to up their game in the second half of the season.
"Chiefs have been doing well but they will need to get better because it will be tougher than the first.
"They will need to have a focus in order to handle all the competitions they will be competing in. It won't be easy and the players will have to be soldiers because the conditions in Africa are not for sissies."
The Phefeni-club would have domestic and continental obligations in the second half of the season.
Besides challenging for the Champions League, Chiefs would also contest for Premiership honours and the Nedbank Cup.
Having played an integral role in the triumphant Bafana Afcon team of 1996, Nyathi was well-aware of the difficulties the South Africans faced in West Africa.
If local players want to be considered among the best on the continent they needed to go toe-to-toe with Africa's cream of the crop, he said.
"It's important to play continental football as a player in order to grow. The benefits are immense but I believe as well that it needs to be continuous.
"They need to test themselves against top African opposition and not be comfortable to be doing well locally.
"It goes with the development of a footballer. It builds character of a player and it makes the player strong psychologically."
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