Football: Cosafa Castle Cup-South African stars not available for selection |23 February 2005

 Quinton Fortune (Manchester United), Benni McCarthy (Porto), Aaron Mokoena (Genk), Siyabonga Nomvete (Udinese), Shaun Bartlett, Mark Fish (Charlton Athletic), Delron Buckley (Arminia Bielefeld), Bradley Carnell (Borussia Monchengladbach), Steven Pieenar (Ajax Amsterdam), Subusiso Zuma (FC Copenhagen), Hans Vonk (Heerenveen) and Jacob Lekgetho (Lokomotiv) are some of South Africa’s foreign-based players missing on English coach Stuart Baxter’s roster for the tourney.

Baxter has told the South African media that he has been “forced to choose a lot of players unknown previously because this competition (the Cosafa Castle Cup) is run on a date not recognised by Fifa. Therefore, clubs are not obliged to release their players.”

With the big name players not available for selection by coach Baxter, it doesn’t mean that the Bafana Bafana will be a weak opponent for Seychelles on Saturday in the group A clash at the George V stadium in Curepipe, Mauritius.

Instead, Seychelles, ranked 173rd out of 205 nations on the recent Fifa/Coca Cola World Rankings with 177 points, should be more determined to try and shock the make-shift Bafana Bafana who hold 40th position on the rankings with 617 points.

A number of South Africa’s under-20 team members who won the Cosafa Cup in December last year have been included in the squad which has an average age of 18 years old.

Goalkeepers John Tlale (37 years old and with eight caps) and Brian Baloyi (30 years old and with 21 caps) are the team’s veterans.

Meanwhile, former skipper Mbulela Mabizela has been recalled to the side as a replacement for Russia-based defender Matthew Booth. Stripped of the captaincy in June 2004 after reporting late for training, Mabizela, whose contract with English Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur was terminated, has not played a competitive match since October last year.

Saturday’s match between Seychelles and South Africa will be officiated by the Mauritian trio of Ahmed Roheeman (referee), Darmalingum Rungien and Raj Ramphul (assistants).

It is to note that South Africa, Cosafa Castle Cup winners in 2002, lost 0-2 to Mauritius in last year’s edition of the regional tournament. South African defender Jacob Lekgetho scored an own goal and Mauritian striker Christopher Perle, formerly with Sunkiss’d division one League champions La Passe, netted the second.

In the Cosafa Castle Cup, the Bafana Bafana have a record of seven wins, two draws and six defeats in 15 matches, scoring 21 goals and conceding 12.

It is also worth noting that Mauritius, ranked 134th with 332 points, will meet 150th ranked Madagascar on Saturday and the winners of the two games will meet on Sunday to decide the group A winners.

G. G.