OWN CORRESPONDENT, Johannesburg | Sunday 11.00am.
IN yet another twist to the Benni McCarthy saga, the striker has been included by coach Trott Moloto in the African Nations Cup squad.
McCarthy, who plays for Celta Viga in the Spanish league, was included — along with Ajax Amsterdam’s Aaron Mokoena — as ”standy players”.
This face-saving resolution follows Moloto’s rejection of a last-ditch effort to get him into the squad.
Moloto said on Friday he would make no late changes to his 22-man squad for the finals, which start on January 22, despite successful efforts by South African Football Association (Safa) officials to persuade the 22-year-old striker out of a premature international retirement.
Moloto said: ”We included two standby players when we played in the 1998 finals in Burkina Faso. After a meeting wiht my technical staff it was decided to follow the same route this time. ”I will sit down and work out the logistics and determine which is best, either to leave both players at their clubs in Europe or take them with us to Ghana on Wednesday. I’ll make that announcemnet on Tuesday.”
Moloto’s refusal was an embarrassment for Safa president Molefi Oliphant who called a news conference in Johannesburg on Thursday to announce the forward’s return, only for the coach to issue a statement hours later saying he would not select McCarthy.
McCarthy announced his retirement from international soccer last September, complaining demands from South Africa’s national team and under-23 side were having an adverse effect on his club career.
McCarthy was the player of the tournament at the last Nations Cup finals in Burkina Faso in 1998 and joint top goalscorer.
He has scored 13 goals in 23 Bafana appearances. — Reuters added to this report