BAFANA Bafana’s preparations for their tour Down Under plumbed farcical depths yesterday after Mamelodi Sundowns’ Teko Modise and Bidvest Wits’ Sthembiso Ngcobo took the unorthodox decision of personally turning down their invitations to join the travelling squad.
Bafana coach Gordon Igesund was still reeling from the withdrawal of a record 11 players on Tuesday when Modise and Ngcobo also decided they did not want to represent their country in friendlies against Australia on Monday May 26, and New Zealand in Auckland on May 30.
Modise was to replace injured Wits midfielder Sibusiso Vilakazi, while Ngcobo would have come in the place of Orlando Pirates’ Kermit Erasmus, who is already on holiday in Holland.
Igesund said yesterday he phoned both Modise and Ngcobo and tried to convince them to travel with him, but they ultimately decided not to accept their call-up letters.
Igesund said Sundowns coach Pitso Mosimane gave Modise permission to travel with Bafana but the midfielder still elected to turn down his call-up.
Modise could not be reached on his mobile yesterday afternoon but he told the Sundowns website ‘‘he had prior engagements up to Friday” that prevented him from travelling Down Under.
As if that were not enough, the Orlando Pirates duo of Oupa Manyisa and Thabo Matlaba are yet to report to camp and Igesund said he does not know where they are.
‘‘The report we got was that they are injured and protocol of course is for them to come in to be examined by the national team doctor .
‘‘But for two days we tried to get these players to come in and they have never came in for their checkup. I could not wait any longer and I had to replace them.”
Sibusiso Khumalo, Siyabonga Nhlapho, Reneilwe Letsholonyane, Siphelele Mthembu were brought in yesterday to replace the latest withdrawals.
Igesund – who was forced to call off Tuesday’s training session because he only had eight players in camp – at least had something to smile about after Holland-based midfielder Thulani Serero and Siphelele Mthembu arrived in camp yesterday.
Key players opt out of Bafana tour
Bafana coach Gordon Igesund was still reeling from the withdrawal of a record 11 players on Tuesday when Modise and Ngcobo also decided they did not want to represent their country in friendlies against Australia on Monday May 26, and New Zealand in Auckland on May 30.
Modise was to replace injured Wits midfielder Sibusiso Vilakazi, while Ngcobo would have come in the place of Orlando Pirates’ Kermit Erasmus, who is already on holiday in Holland.
Igesund said yesterday he phoned both Modise and Ngcobo and tried to convince them to travel with him, but they ultimately decided not to accept their call-up letters.
Igesund said Sundowns coach Pitso Mosimane gave Modise permission to travel with Bafana but the midfielder still elected to turn down his call-up.
Modise could not be reached on his mobile yesterday afternoon but he told the Sundowns website ‘‘he had prior engagements up to Friday” that prevented him from travelling Down Under.
As if that were not enough, the Orlando Pirates duo of Oupa Manyisa and Thabo Matlaba are yet to report to camp and Igesund said he does not know where they are.
‘‘The report we got was that they are injured and protocol of course is for them to come in to be examined by the national team doctor .
‘‘But for two days we tried to get these players to come in and they have never came in for their checkup. I could not wait any longer and I had to replace them.”
Sibusiso Khumalo, Siyabonga Nhlapho, Reneilwe Letsholonyane, Siphelele Mthembu were brought in yesterday to replace the latest withdrawals.
Igesund – who was forced to call off Tuesday’s training session because he only had eight players in camp – at least had something to smile about after Holland-based midfielder Thulani Serero and Siphelele Mthembu arrived in camp yesterday.
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