Baxter to meet Italy-based South African player and convince him to play for Bafana

Stuart Baxter is heading overseas this week to talk to prospective future Bafana Bafana internationals as he looks at options to strengthen the national team team.

His primary mission will be in Italy where he will meet with Roodepoort-born Joel Untersee‚ who is back at Italian giants and UEFA Champions League runners-up Juventus after spending the past season on loan at Serie B outfit Brescia.

But he is also going to see players in Portugal and Norway‚ confirmed South African Football Association (Safa) chief executive officer Dennis Mumble on Monday.

The 23-year-old has been named in Juventus’ pre-season squad for the 2017/18 season after making 39 appearances for Brescia last season.

He has represented Switzerland at every level of junior football from Under-15 to the Under-21s‚ though has not yet made a senior national team appearance.

This means he can still play for South Africa.

As Untersee was born in Johannesburg‚ he is entitled to immediate South African citizenship and can therefore be eligible to play for Bafana.

But because he has played for the Swiss at junior level‚ he must first apply to FIFA to change his international ability. This is usually a simple process.

Untersee joined the Juventus youth academy in 2011 and has been part of the pre-season squads for the first teams on a number of occasions since‚ only to then be loaned out.

He spent almost three seasons with FC Vaduz in the Swiss league and then at Brescia‚ with more than 100 senior team appearances across the clubs.

Safa last year expressed their desire to cast their net wider in the hunt for fresh talent for the national team‚ which led to the call-up of Dutch-born Lars Veldwijk.

But Baxter has no plans‚ as yet‚ to try and persuade Andrew Surman‚ 30‚ to play for South Africa.

Born in Johannesburg‚ he is on the books of Bournemouth and is a former England under-21 international.

Raymond Hack‚ when he was at Safa‚ previously visited Surman‚ then at Southampton‚ to persuade him to play for South Africa but was turned down.

But as the only South African in the Premier League‚ who over the last two seasons has competed in 60 league games‚ it would seem worthwhile checking whether he has not had a change of heart.