It was not the kind of drama that Bafana Bafana needed on Wednesday as the South African contingent completed an initial period of preparation for the fateful World Cup qualifying game against Burkina Faso in Bremen, Germany and embarked on a five-hour chartered flight to Ouagadougou.
The most disturbing news to emerge was that explosive Borussia Dortmund midfielder Delron Buckley has withdrawn from the squad because of a lingering ankle injury — one he incurred while playing for Bafana in the recent 4-1 defeat against Iceland.
Another distraction was the renewed interest English Premiership club West Ham were reportedly showing in Bafana striker Benni McCarthy after an earlier offer had been rejected by his Portuguese club, Porto.
Kick Off magazine, in fact, reported that McCarthy had left the Bafana camp in Bremen for discussions in London with West Ham officials — not mentioning how long the discussions would last and when the prolific-scoring striker would join the Bafana squad in Burkina Faso.
With Bafana en route to Ouagadougou on Wednesday night, the report remained unconfirmed.
South African Football Association (Safa) director of international affairs Barney Kujane said in Johannesburg he knew nothing about McCarthy ”jumping camp” and going to London.
And Safa CEO Raymond Hack said he was not aware of any new developments regarding a possible transfer of McCarthy to West Ham — ”if there is any substance to the report”.
Other news surrounding the Bafana camp is that former Jomo Cosmos striking prospect Katlego Mphela has signed a contract with Supersport United after being released by French club Strasbourg.
Supersport have also announced the signing of Tanzanian international midfielder Sulemani Matoli from Simba FC. — Sapa