Goodbye Bafana

22 May 2014 - 02:00 By Mninawa Ntloko
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Gordon Igesund and SuperSport United have parted ways.
Gordon Igesund and SuperSport United have parted ways.
Image: DUIF DU TOIT/GALLO IMAGES

Bafana Bafana's preparations for their tour Down Under plumbed farcical depths yesterday after Mamelodi Sundowns' Teko Modise and Wits' Sthembiso Ngcobo took the unorthodox decision of personally turning down their invitations to join the travelling squad.

Bafana coach Gordon Igesund was still reeling from the withdrawal of a record 11 players on Tuesday when Modise and Ngcobo decided they did not want to represent their country in friendlies against Australia on Monday, and New Zealand in Auckland on May 30.

Modise was to replace injured Wits midfielder Sibusiso Vilakazi, while Ngcobo would have come in the place of Orlando Pirates' Kermit Erasmus, who is already on holiday in Holland.

''I spoke to Teko [on Monday] and I told him I understood it was short notice but we have a situation here," Igesund said.

''I explained everything to him and I asked if he would be available. He said 'alright, coach, I think everything will be OK but I will come back to you in 10 minutes'.

''He never came back to me but he instead sent an SMS to [Bafana team manager] Barney Kujane, stating that he was very honoured but would not be able to make it. He feels he's had a tough season and his body is tired."

Igesund said Sundowns coach Pitso Mosimane gave Modise permission to travel with Bafana.

Modise told the Sundowns website ''he had prior engagements up to Friday" that prevented him from travelling Down Under.

''He [Ngcobo] chose not to be here because he felt he wanted to spend time with his family in Durban," the coach said.

As if that were not enough, the Orlando Pirates duo of Oupa Manyisa and Thabo Matlaba are yet to report to camp and Igesund said he did not know where they were.

''The report we got was that they are injured and protocol of course is for them to come in to be examined by the national team doctor [Carl Tabane].

''But for two days we tried to get these players to come in and they have never came in for their checkup.

"I could not wait any longer and I had to replace them."

Pirates administration executive Floyd Mbele confirmed to The Times yesterday that the two players were indeed injured but he had also been unable to locate them.

But Mbele has furnished the supporting medical documents to both the Premier Soccer League and the South African Football Association as required by protocol.

Igesund said though the two players have never given him problems, Safa would have to decide how they handle the matter.

Sibusiso Khumalo, Siyabonga Nhlapho, Reneilwe Letsholonyane and Siphelele Mthembu were brought in yesterday to replace the latest withdrawals.

Igesund - who was forced to call off Tuesday's training session because he only had eight players in camp - at least had something to smile about after Holland-based midfielder Thulani Serero and Siphelele Mthembu arrived in camp yesterday.

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