Mninawa Ntloko
14 November 2008
Johannesburg — EYEBROWS were raised when beleaguered national soccer team coach Joel Natalino Santana yesterday announced the squad to face Cameroon in the Nelson Mandela Challenge.
Santana selected Benni McCarthy to the team, even though the Blackburn Rovers striker's father died on Wednesday after reportedly suffering complications from diabetes.
"We will wait for McCarthy to decide if he wants to play or not," Santana said.
"If he does not want to play, we will then decide on the player who will replace him." South African Football Association CEO Raymond Hack said it would not pressure McCarthy into making a decision.
"Whatever decision he makes, we will respect it," he said. The decision leaves everything in the balance and may come back to haunt the embattled coach as he has selected only three strikers -- McCarthy, Bernard Parker and Katlego Mphela.
The Brazilian seems to have made life difficult for himself. If McCarthy decides not to avail himself on the day of the match, the coach could be forced to face a near-strength Cameroon side with just two strikers.
Israel-based striker Thembinkosi Fanteni has been in blistering form for Maccabi Haifa but was somehow excluded.
Santana also could not find a place for Richard Henyekane, even though the Golden Arrows striker's seven goals make him the top flight joint top scorer.
The Brazilian tried to justify the decision to select only three strikers by saying that players left out of the squad were either injured or their clubs refused to release them.
But this claim hardly makes sense as the Nelson Mandela Challenge falls on a date -- November 19 -- designated by Fifa for international games.
The Brazilian's curious decision should leave the omitted players worried as he said he was close to finalising the squad that will represent SA in next year's Confederations Cup and in the 2010 World Cup.
"We can never forget that the main focus is on 2010," he said.
"And now we have an idea of what we want for the 2010 World Cup because we have become more familiar with the players and even the press."
BAFANA SQUAD
Goalkeepers: Itumeleng Khune (Chiefs), Brian Baloyi (Sundowns)
Defenders: Matthew Booth (Krylya Sovetov), Bradley Carnell (Karlsruhe), Siboniso Gaxa (Sundowns), Morgan Gould (SuperSport), Tsepo Masilela (Maccabi Haifa), Masilo Modubi (Westerlo), Aaron Mokoena (Blackburn) Nasief Morris (Recreativo de Huelva), Thabo Nthethe (Bloemfontein Celtic)
Midfielders: Lance Davids (Djurgardens), Kagisho Dikgacoi (Golden Arrows), Thulasizwe Mbuyane and Teko Modise (both Orlando Pirates), Siyabonga Nkosi (Arminia Bielefeld), Steven Pienaar (Everton), Siphiwe Tshabalala (Chiefs), Macbeth Sibaya (Rubin Kazan) Elrio van Heerden (Club Brugge)
Strikers: Benni McCarthy (Blackburn Rovers), Bernard Parker (Thanda Royal Zulu) and Katlego Mphela (Sundowns).
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