Sport

Comoros gemors: Clubs pull Bafana stars for Chan qualifier

Matthew Marcus|Published

WITHDRAWN: Stellies ace Antonio Van Wyk

Bafana Bafana on Wednesday had to skarrel to get a span together for their trip to Comoros where they’ll face the hosts in Friday’s African Nations Championship (Chan) qualifier.

Coach Helman Mkhalele was expecting to take the squad that won the Cosafa Cup Plate on Sunday to the island nation for the first-round first leg, with their return match next Saturday.

But with the August 5 PSL launch just two weeks away, a number of clubs have recalled their players to pre-season training.

SKARREL: Helman Mkhalele

The SABC on Tuesday confirmed that SuperSport United stars Kegan Johannes, Thapelo Maseko and Selaelo Rasebotja, Maritzburg United’s Rowan Human and Stellenbosch duo Jayden Adams and Antonio van Wyk have all been withdrawn from the squad.

Scheduled to leave on Wednesday, Bafana had to delay their travelling plans, with the coach and team manager locked in meetings to have a group ready to represent the country.

With only players playing in their domestic leagues eligible to compete in the current competition, Bafana may turn to the NFD, which only kicks off in the first week of September.

Meanwhile, Safa on Wednesday also slammed reports that Mkhalele had taken over from Hugo Broos as Bafana Bafana head coach.

Broos handed the Afcon 1996-winning winger the reins for the Cosafa Cup as he returned to Belgium on holiday, leading to reports that the coach had left his post for good.

And Safa CEO Tebogo Mothlante says in a statement: “These claims are absolutely false and it is troubling that they were published without anyone seeing the need to contact Safa. This is shocking conduct.

“It is malicious and untrue that Broos is no longer Bafana Bafana coach.”

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