South Africa striker Shaun Bartlett is quitting international football to concentrate on securing a new contract with his club, Premiership side Charlton.
Bartlett, who has scored 27 goals from 66 appearances for Bafana Bafana, has opted to bow out from the international stage rather than risk yet another club-versus-country row ahead of next year’s African Nations Cup.
Bartlett, who turns 31 on Friday, explained: ”I’m in the last year of my contract and am playing for a new deal.
”I’ve spoken to the South African authorities and explained my decision. I told them it was time for me to concentrate on my club career.
”They tried to talk me round but I’d already made up my mind.”
Charlton boss Alan Curbishley, who pushed Bartlett to quit the South African side, told Sky Sports: ”We were in a ridiculous situation where he’d go missing for six weeks over Christmas.
”We said to Shaun it wasn’t on. We pay his wages so asked what his priority was.” — Sapa-AFP