The withdrawal affliction that hampers Bafana Bafana with regular monotony when it comes to Benni McCarthy struck again on Tuesday when the talented but enigmatic striker was withdrawn from the squad to play Senegal in the Nelson Mandela Cup game at the Port Elizabeth Rugby Stadium on Saturday.
McCarthy, who will be replaced by Supersport’s Katlego Mphela, had earlier informed Bafana coach Stuart Baxter he was suffering from a lingering ankle injury and required treatment in Portugal before a final assessment could be made on whether he would be able to play against the ”Lions of Tiranga”.
”Under the circumstances,” said Bafana general manager Stanley ”Screamer” Tshabalala, ”the coach decided there was little point in him arriving a day before the game with a question mark still hanging over his fitness.”
Despite McCarthy’s stature as a player with former European champions Porto, his recent performances for Bafana generally and unavailability for one reason or another have likened him to the little boy ”who was very good when he was good, but awful when he was bad”.
Speculation has also spread in some quarters that McCarthy is considering retiring from international soccer — not for the first time — in order to enhance his club career in Europe.
McCarthy, however, could find himself in a catch-22 situation if he is to achieve an ambition to play in the English Premiership.
English labour laws require a foreign player to represent his country in 75% of international fixtures over the past 12 months.
And, if McCarthy ”retires” from international football, he would need to receive special dispensation to satisfy the English authorities on the issue of a work permit.
”Benni might not have been at his best for Bafana recently,” said Tshabalala, ”but he remains a highly talented player and it is a big blow not to have him in harness against a formidable team like Senegal.”
Mphela, meanwhile, will join the squad when they assemble at Johannesburg International airport on Wednesday for the trip to Port Elizabeth. — Sapa