ANDREW MUCHINERIPI, Johannesburg | Friday 3.00pm
BAFANA coach Trott Moloto’s late naming of his squad for the Cosafa Cup match against Lesotho has had two casualties in more club-versus-country rows.
His surprise recall to Switzerland-based striker George Koumantarakis has been turned down by his club Basle, while Free State wing back Thembe Seli will also not be available.
Moloto has called up Moroko Swallows striker Patrick Ningiza and and defender Jacob Lekgetho as replacements for the Castle Cup Southern Africa match against Mauritius on Saturday at the Royal Bafokeng Sports Palace in Phokeng.
Bafana Bafana and Amaglug-glug use the highly sought-after services of one Siyabonga Nomvete, now of Chiefs but seemingly destined for an address in Sunderland, north-east England, or Perugia, central Italy.
As Bafana will be without the foreign-based players, Moloto’s locally-based team will be relying on Nomvete as his key striker, who is certain to play with Bush Bucks’ Patrick Mayo.
Moloto has selected Steve Lekoelea, Thabo Mngomeni, Joseph Ngake, Arthur Zwane, Godfrey Sapula, Jabu Pule and Dillon Sheppard as his midfielders, while a back four consisting of Nkiphitheni Matombo, Fabian McCarthy, Matthew Booth and David Kannemeyer is hardly inferior to Cyril Nzama, Andrew Rabutla, Benni McCarthy and David Kannemeyer.