Senior SA pair unable to join team

A SCRAMBLE for players continued for South Africa’s national team yesterday as Mandla Masango and Lebogang Phiri were both told to report for pre-season training at their European clubs.

The pair had initially been included in a makeshift squad assembled to defend the Cosafa Castle Cup, with new Bafana Bafana coach Stuart Baxter trying to cajole players out of Premier Soccer League clubs as well as promoting some of the squad that participated at last month’s U-20 World Cup in South Korea.

Masango and Phiri would have been among the senior members, but have now both been refused permission to participate and have to go to Europe for pre-season training.

Masango was on loan at SuperSport United this season, but that deal runs out on Friday.

With South Africa’s opening game of the competition being played on Sunday at the Royal Bafokeng Sports Palace‚ the South African Football Association needed permission from Masango’s Danish club Randers, but they have refused.

Phiri has moved from Denmark to play for En Avant Guingamp in France‚ who have also said no to Safa’s request.

Justin Webber, from Stellenbosch FC (National First Division), and Mohau Mokate, of Maritzburg United, were drafted in as replacements.

Baxter is to join up with the squad today, with Thabo Senong having taken charge over the weekend and yesterday while Baxter was ending his time at SuperSport United in spectacular fashion by winning the Nedbank Cup.

South Africa will only know the identity of their opponents after the completion of the first round on Friday, but Sunday’s opening games at the Moruleng Stadium gave an indication of that likelihood that it will be either Angola or Tanzania.

Both won their opening matches, with Tanzania 2-0 victors over Malawi, and Angola edging Mauritius 1-0 in an ill-tempered game in which the Angolans lost two key players to bad tackles.