Blackburn Rovers' South African striker Benni McCarthy will return to his home country's squad next month to play an African Nations Cup qualifier and an international friendly, national coach Carlos Alberto Parreira said on Wednesday.
Parreira announced his squad for the African Nations Cup qualifying game against Zambia in Cape Town September 12 and the friendly against Uruguay in Johannesburg on September 15, with McCarthy the most significant inclusion.
The much-awaited announcement came after a long debate over McCarthy's refusal to play for his country, reportedly due to his row with some officials of the South African Football Association.
But Parreira said he had met McCarthy recently, who assured him that he wanted to represent South Africa again.
"I had a long, fruitful and frank discussion with Benni in England over the weekend," Bafana's renowned Brazilian coach was quoted as saying by the SAPA news agency.
"And he provided me with the assurance that he wants to play for his country. Leaving him out, in the circumstances, is a luxury we cannot afford," Parreira said.
The 29-year-old's return could not have come at a better time, given Bafana Bafana's lack of goals in recent games.
McCarthy, who last represented South Africa by his own fruition during Bafana's ill-fated African Nations Cup debacle in Egypt 18 months ago, has emerged as the second leading scorer in the English Premiership behind Chelsea's Didier Drogba since he joined Blackburn last season.
For the rest, the Bafana squad of 22 was virtually unchanged from that which put up a creditable performance while losing 1-0 to Scotland in a friendly in Aberdeen last week.
Following is the squad:
Goalkeepers: Rowen Fernandez (Arminia Bielefeld, Germany), Calvin Marlin (Mamelodi Sundowns).
Defenders: Aaron Mokoena (Blackburn Rovers, England), Bradley Carnell (Karlsruher, Germany), Cyril Nzama (Kaizer Chiefs), Vuyo Mere (Mamelodi Sundowns), Brett Evans (Ajax Cape Town), Benson Mhlongo (Mamelodi Sundowns), Nasief Morris (Panathinaikos, Greece), Bevan Fransman (Moroka Swallows).
Midfielders: MacBeth Sibaya (Rubin Kazan, Russia), Steven Pienaar (Everton, England), Papi Zothwane (Lamontville Golden Arrows), Surprise Moriri (Mamelodi Sundowns), Siyabonga Nkosi (Arminia Bielefeld, Germany), Benedict Vilakazi (Aarlborg BK, Denmark), Teko Modise (Orlando Pirates), Delron Buckley (Borussia Dortmund, Germany), Dillon Sheppard (Mamelodi Sundowns).
Strikers: Benedict McCarthy (Blackburn Rovers, England), Thembinkosi Fanteni (Ajax Cape Town), Siyabonga Nomvete (Aarlborg BK, Denmark).
Source: Xinhua
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