The Star Early Edition

Mashaba content with his makeshift Bafana squad

- Jumping the queue for selection for Afcon.” The tradition-steeped fixture takes place at Mbombela Stadium in Nelspruit on a date not designated by Fifa for internatio­nal matches, causing the national team coach to announce a depleted squad. Safa president

commitment to represent their country in what remains an occasion of great significan­ce in honouring Madiba.”

But hardly had the ink dried on the names of the 23 players on Tuesday when Kaizer Chiefs and Wits announced they would not release some of their players.

Soon afterwards Chippa United placed doubts on the availabili­ty of goal-scoring striker David Zulu, citing he had an injury and might not be fit in time to play against the Ivorians.

Meanwhile former Bafana and Black Aces coach Clive Barker, the only coach to guide South Africa to a major soccer title when Bafana annexed the African Nations Cup in 1996, said he was “critical of anyone depriving a player of the right

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