Kermit Erasmus says his tense standoff with the Bafana technical team is a thing of the past

Kermit Erasmus’s one-time clash with national team structures is in the past‚ the forward has said‚ and he has joined the current Bafana Bafana camp to focus on the present and the future.

The path for Lens forward Erasmus to be recalled for the friendly internationals against Guinea-Bissau at Moses Mabhida Stadium on Saturday and Angola in East London next Wednesday was cleared after Shakes Mashaba was sacked as Bafana coach in December.

Erasmus had not been called to the national team since tweeting in June 2015 that he was “no back-up player”.

This was when there was speculation that the then-Orlando Pirates player might be called up as a replacement for Tokelo Rantie for an Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Gambia in Durban.

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Recalled for the national team for the first tie since then by current caretaker-coach Owen Da Gama‚ Erasmus said in Durban on Tuesday on his absence: “Everybody knows the reason – I don’t need to speak about the reason.

“I’m here to focus on these two games‚ and that’s the reason I’m here – to represent my country. I’m always happy to represent my country‚ and I’m happy to be back.

• 'We have been following players all over the world,' says Bafana interim coach Da GamaOwen da Gama wanted to retain the core of the side that beat Senegal in November in his Bafana Bafana squad for this month’s two friendlies‚ while also introducing youth and recalling players who had been overlooked. 

“Everybody has their own opinion on everything‚ and their own take on a situation. And I raised my opinion.

“For me‚ it’s all in the past.

"I’m here to focus on the present and to try and structure the future to make it look bright.”

- TMG Digital/TMG Sport