Benni again fails to arrive
26/05/2008 16:56 - (SA)
Johannesburg - Bafana Bafana could face Nigeria in their opening 2010 African Nations Cup qualifier without their star striker Benni McCarthy in Abuja on Sunday.
Kick-off is at 17:00 South African time.
The Blackburn Rovers forward was the only player in the 25-man squad who failed to arrive for camp in Johannesburg on Monday.
New national coach Joel Santana said he would make a decision by Tuesday on whether or not McCarthy will still be allowed into the camp later this week.
Bafana team manager Sipho Nkumane said the England-based McCarthy had asked to be excused from the camp due to "personal reasons."
However, it is not the first time McCarthy (30) has let Bafana and his country down. The temperamental striker had to be coaxed back to international duty by former Bafana coach Carlos Alberto Parreira after an 18 month self imposed exile.
The media and players are getting fed up with the way McCarthy gets special treatment by national coaches and it is hoped that Brazilian hard man Santana puts his foot down and treats McCarthy like the rest of the squad and boots him out.
It was widely believed McCarthy was allowed to miss January's African Nations Cup finals in Ghana by Parreira who resigned last month.
The fact that the SA Football Association have already called up Mamelodi Sundowns star Lerato Chabangu for this week's camp indicates that McCarthy is a lost cause.
Would miss his experience
Santana, speaking through an interpreter said: "McCarthy is an important player. Please give me a little more time to sort this problem out. I have only just been told of it and I will have a solution on McCarthy by Tuesday."
Bafana captain and his Rovers teammate Aaron Mokoena said he had spoken to McCarthy and said Bafana needed his experience but he stressed: "It is always, Benni, Benni, Benni. I do not know his reasons for not showing but I have confidence in our players to beat Nigeria with or without Benni.
"Sure we would miss his experience especially in such a big game, but we have quality and are starting to build up the squad. I know it is going to be difficult, Nigeria are a big side with big players but we are not going to be scared of them, we are going to Nigeria to get a result. We can upset Nigeria in their own backyard. I have that strong belief in the team."
