By Mark Gleeson in Cape Town

Parreira is under huge pressure to deliver a competitive side

South Africa may be going full steam ahead with preparations for the 2010 World Cup but there are huge concerns about the state of the national team.

The continuing search for talent by coach Carlos Alberto Parreira is beginning to smack of desperation.

Parreira is still experimenting with his combinations and introducing a steady flow of new personnel.

This is why Benni McCarthy's call-up for the friendly against Paraguay raised more questions than answers.

The make up of his squad for the match against the South Americans at the Super stadium in Atteridgeville, near Pretoria, on 26 March, reveals Parreira is far from settled on a core squad.

This is despite the Brazilian having already been in the job for more than 12 months and taken charge of 20 games.

Parreira is now said to be turning to the second phase of his plan for the World Cup - the first was to identify talent, the second to mould the group into an effective playing unit.

His demand for regular practice games is being met. But despite having already capped 60 different players - which works out at three new players per game - the Brazilian is still stuck in phase one and with, seemingly, no way forward.

The return of McCarthy, one of several 'aging' regulars left out of the 23-man squad for the African Nations Cup finals in Ghana, is symbolic of Parreira's frustration at finding adequate talent.

Despite trying 13 strikers since his first game last March, the 30-year-old forward seems to be the only viable attacking option at Parreira's disposal.

This much was displayed at the Nations Cup where chances went begging and again on Tuesday when a makeshift Zimbabwe side were only beaten 2-1, the last-minute winner in Germiston coming courtesy of an unfortunate own goal.

Parreira is under huge pressure to deliver a competitive side for the World Cup finals.

He is a paid a massive salary and is forever being asked whether South Africa have any chance of making it past the first round.

Oftentimes it is a question posed by Sepp Blatter, the Fifa president being a firm believer that a successful World Cup has much do with the positive performances of the home side.

Previous World Cups in South Korea, Japan and Germany, where the home team were given little chance at the start of the tournament but rode a tide of euphoria all the way to the semi-finals, attest to the theory.

Parreira has not said yet when he will finish with talent identification and settle on a core squad. But a glimpse at the programme suggests the experimentation phase must be at an end.

After Paraguay, South Africa turn their focus to the Nigerian Super Eagles in the World Cup and Nations Cup qualifiers.

There are also a host of high-profile friendlies promised against major European and South American opposition in the second half of the year.

And in just over a year from now a real test of the country's credentials will come at the Confederations Cup, which South Africa will host.