Johannesburg - Bafana Bafana have once again been hit by withdrawals ahead of a key encounter as three players have been removed from the squad to play Mauritius in their second-leg Chan qualifier in Mapou, Mauritius, on Sunday.
Two of the players - Thabo Matlaba and Ntsikelelo Nyauza - had only been added to the 18-man travelling squad on Thursday. Marc van Heerden was the third player to have withdrawn.
“Both Matlaba and Van Heerden are suffering from Achilles tendon injuries while Nyauza had to pull out following his club’s hectic schedule in the Caf [Confederations Cup] competition,” said the SA Football Association in a statement on Monday.
It is yet another instance of player withdrawals from the national team, after 12 players from a 23-man squad were removed ahead of the first-leg Chan qualifier against Mauritius which Bafana won 3-0 at Dobsonville Stadium on June 20.
Coach Shakes’ Mashaba and his technical team will draft in replacements for the three.
The withdrawn trio join Vuyisile Wana who was taken off the Bafana list due to a knee injury, and has been replaced by Thabo Mnyamane.
ANA