/ 30 September 2008

Cloud over Mabizela after no-show

Bafana Bafana ”bad boy” Mbulelo ”OJ” Mabizela’s international career could be on the rocks again.

The Mamelodi Sundowns central defender failed to arrive for camp on Sunday ahead Bafana’s friendly international against Malawi at the Germiston Stadium on Tuesday night. Kick-off is at 7pm.

Bafana team manager Sipho Nkumane confirmed Mabizela’s no-show at the squad’s only training session at the match venue on Monday.

Said Nkumane: ”Mabizela was informed through his club of his call-up and this was acknowledged. He failed to report to camp on Sunday and was nowhere to be seen on Monday. I contacted Sundowns, who in turn tried to contact him without any success. At this moment neither we nor Sundowns know his whereabouts.”

Nkumane said he would not jump the gun and condemn Mabizela until he had seen the reports form Sundowns and had a chance to let the player explain his failure to report to camp.

Said Nkumane: ”There could be a reason for his behaviour but I simply do not know at this stage and cannot comment further until I have got to the bottom of this.”

Mabizela has a poor disciplinary record at club and national level.

He has failed on previous occasions to report on time for Bafana camps.

Former Bafana coach Stuart Baxter stripped him of the national team captaincy for his lack of discipline.

Mabizela was released by English Premiership club Tottenham Hotspur in October 2004 for disciplinary problems, and was suspended for six months by Downs in 2006 for failing a drugs test.

He has played 46 times for Bafana.

He was brought back by new national coach Joel Santana to play against Nigeria in a 2010 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) qualifier in Port Elizabeth on September 6 after being in the international wilderness since January 2006, when he earned his 44th Bafana cap in the Afcon finals in Alexandria against Zambia.

Santana said he was leaving the matter up to Nkumane to deal with.

Said Santana: ”I called him up and he did not respond. The matter will be handled by the team management.”

Despite the Mabizela setback, Santa was upbeat after his two-hour training session on Monday. He said: This game against Malawi is important for me to see some new players and others I have seen one or twice in a Bafana jersey. It is also important that we get back on the winning track.

”Despite the fact I have had only one session with the players it is important we play well and beat Malawi.”

Meanwhile, Sundowns team manager Harris Choeu said. ”Mabizela was suffering from knee injury and had also missed the PSL game against Supersport United on Saturday.}

Meanwhile, Orlando Pirates midfielder Thulasizwe Mbuyane has been withdrawn from the squad due to injury. — Sapa