Bafana Bafana coach Stuart Baxter on Sunday named his final 23-man Africa Cup of Nations squad which included a couple of surprise omissions.
Baxter omitted Fortune Makaringe, Ben Motshwari, and Kermit Erasmus among those who have been in camp throughout the week and have been training at Steyn City School in Fourways.
Already missing from the week-long camp were Keagan Dolly (groin injury) and Rivaldo Coetzee who left to be with his ailing mother in the Northern Cape.
Baxter has retained most of the players that have been doing duty in the Afcon qualifiers with goalkeepers being Darren Keet, Ronwen Williams, and Bruce Bvuma.
He has kept the bulk of his tried and tested defenders and midfielders while the strike force will be spearheaded by Percy Tau, Lebo Mothiba, Lars Veldwijk, Lebogang Maboe, and Sibusiso Vilakazi.
Baxter said it was difficult to drop Makaringe, Motshwari, and Erasmus a day before the squad flies out to Dubai on Monday to intensify their training.
The Bafana coach added that Erasmus has shown great professionalism throughout the week but as Afcon rules would dictate, he can only take 23 players to Egypt.
In Dubai, Bafana will play against Ghana in an international friendly before heading to Egypt where they will play another friendly.
Bafana are in Group D, together with Ivory Coast who they play in their opening Group game, Namibia and Morocco.
Bafana squad:
Goalkeepers: Darren Keet, Ronwen Williams, Bruce Bvuma.
Defenders: Daniel Cardoso, Ramahlwe Mphahlele, Thulani Hlatshwayo, Sakhile Maela, S’fiso Hlanti, Buhlebuyeza Mkhwanazi, Thamsanqa Mkhize.
Midfielders: Bongani Zungu, Hlompho Kekana, Dean Furman, Kamohelo Mokotjo, Samuel Mabunda, Thulani Serero, Thembinkosi Lorch, Themba Zwane.
Strikers: Lebo Mothiba, Percy Tau, Lars Veldwijk, Lebogang Maboe, Sibusiso Vilakazi.
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