A day in the life of a Bafana Bafana coach is traditionally not free of some degree of turbulence — but Ted Dumitru could hardly have expected the shock news on Tuesday that in-form Kaizer Chiefs goalkeeper Emile Baron had ”bolted” from the squad for the coming African Nations Cup.
”It was a bolt from the blue,” said Dumitru after Baron informed Safa’s Director of International Affairs, Barney Kujane, that he would no longer be available for Bafana duty.
”We were expecting him at the training camp in Johannesburg on Monday,” added Dumitru.
”When he failed to turn up we started making enquiries. Initially Baron indicated that he would arrive within 24 hours. Then came the turnaround that he was not coming at all.”
Dumitru said the attitude of the Chiefs’ player had left him ”dumbfounded” — and opened the door to disciplinary action against Baron.
”According to the Fifa regulations a player is entitled to make himself unavailable for his country. But he is required to inform the national association of this before the selection of the squad.”
Baron was a last-minute inclusion in Dumitru’s plans after gaining the Chiefs’ goalkeeping berth from Rowen Fernandez and performing brilliantly in the process — and he could argue that even now the Bafana squad for Egypt has still to be finalised and his non-availability is therefore in accordance with Fifa rules.
Dumitru is now left with three goalkeepers in his provisional squad and the Bafana coach says that barring any further accidents Calvin Marlin, Moeneeb Josephs and Avril Phali were now definitely earmarked for Egypt.
Tuesday’s rigorous training sessions were more pleasing for Dumitru in other respects — and the Bafana coach remained confident that enigmatic striking star, Benni McCarthy, would join the training camp within days and remain available for the Nations Cup.
”I believe the reports from Portugal that Benni intends asking Safa to be excused from going to Egypt with Bafana were mischievous in nature,” said Dumitru.
”I have heard nothing of the sort directly.”
However, another hiccup in the preparation for the Nations Cup concerned the assembling of the PSL XI to face Bafana in practice games in Johannesburg and Durban on Thursday and next Friday.
Dumitru had requested the 11 players shorn from his original Bafana squad of 35 be included in the PSL XI. But only two of them have surfaced.
”Letters were written to the clubs of all 11 players,” said Bafana general manager Dan Leboa, ”asking for the players to report for duty.
”More than that we can’t do,” added Leboa. – Sapa