African Roundup

Mashaba doesn't call stars to play England

JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) -- South Africa coach Ephraim Mashaba refused to bow to demands from local officials on Thursday that he strengthen his inexperienced squad for next week's friendly international against England.

South Africa have named mainly home-based players in their squad of 24, but the South African Football Association (SAFA) has been seeking the return of a number of disaffected players.

SAFA official Barney Kujane told reporters Thursday's squad announcement in Johannesburg would be "a temporary measure" and might be amended later, but Mashaba cut him off at the news conference by saying it was his final selection.

"Where's my credibility when they want me to change my team? Amazingly, when we play England, everything changes. There was nothing like this when we played Burundi last year," Mashaba said.

"But now, because we play England, there are all these headlines about an embattled coach. We live in Africa but why do we not show the same respect to Burundi and Madagascar?"

Mashaba refused to heed demands that he include players like Lucas Radebe, the country's World Cup captain, English-based striker Shaun Bartlett and Benni McCarthy, from Spanish club Celta Vigo, in his squad for the showcase match.

Also dropped is Quinton Fortune, who missed last month's game against Jamaica after saying a hip complaint could be aggravated by the long trip home.

Labeled unpatriotic

Fortune played for Manchester United the day after withdrawing from the South African side. Mashaba labeled him "unpatriotic," before adding: "As far as I'm concerned, he is still injured."

The coach has had regular fall-outs with key players, after they failed to heed previous call-ups to the national team.

Radebe, who plays at Leeds United, and Charlton Athletic's Bartlett did not attend a training camp in Spain in February.

Both players were asked to obtain their own visas for the trip and pay their own way to La Manga, where they would be reimbursed.

Mark Fish, also from Charlton, was another who refused to travel and has since been sidelined, but he would not have been available for the England match because of injury.

McCarthy has not been selected since last September, when he refused to sign a commercial contract with SAFA.

Mashaba lashed out at critics complaining the homegrown team would not be competitive.

"If we think the Premier League in England is better than our Premier League here, I feel insulted," he said.

Squad:

Goalkeepers: Brian Baloyi (Kaizer Chiefs), Moeneeb Josephs (Ajax Cape Town)

Defenders: Tony Coyle (Wits University), Lucky Lekgwathi, Mbulelo Mabizela (both Orlando Pirates), Simphiwe Mkhonza (Lamontville Golden Arrows), Thabang Molefe (Jomo Cosmos), Aaron Mokoena (Germinal Beerschot, Belgium)

Midfielders: Tyren Arendse (Santos), Stanton Fredericks (Kaizer Chiefs), Jabulani Mendu (Moroka Swallows), Benson Mhlongo (Wits University), Tebogo Mokoena (Jomo Cosmos), Clement Mazibuko (Umtata Bush Bucks), Dillon Sheppard (Ajax Cape Town), Joel Seroba (Dynamos), Delron Buckley (VfL Bochum, Germany), Sibusiso Zuma (FC Copenhagen, Denmark)

Strikers: Mab'huti Khanyeza (Lamontville Golden Arrows), Lebogang Kukame (Supersport United), Lesley Manyathela (Orlando Pirates), David Radebe (Kaizer Chiefs), Abram Raselemane (Supersport United), Carlo Scott (Santos)

Hearts of Oak faces new embarrassment

JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) -- Ghana's Hearts of Oak, which has tasted success in the African Champions League and then the ignominy of early round defeat, is again facing an embarrassing premature elimination for the third successive year.

Hearts was African champion in 2000 but bowed out in the first round of the defense of its title the year after.

Last year, it failed again to make it to the lucrative last eight of the competition, where clubs share in more than US$3 million in television and marketing revenue.

The Accra-based side are under severe threat as they head to Angola this weekend for the first leg of their second round tie against AS Aviacao in Luanda.

Hearts, even with Ghana international Emmanuel Osei Kuffour back in the side after his heroics in 2000, has just started its domestic campaign and looks to be a pale shadow of the team that stormed to the title three years ago.

It needed an injury-time penalty in its first league match Sunday to avoid an opening day defeat and was far from convincing in pre-season competition.

The club has also had to seek Ghanaian government assistance to finance its trip to Luanda.

AS Aviacao warmed up for the tie with a 2-0 win over InterClube in Luanda on Wednesday to go top of the Angolan Girabola league.

Busy fixture

The Champions League match in Luanda is one of 24 games on a busy weekend in all three African club competitions.

The field features four of the clubs that made it to the last eight in the Champions League in 2002 and earned vital cash on a continent where revenue-generating opportunities for clubs are in short supply.

Title holder Zamalek of Egypt continues its defense away in Dar-es-Salaam on Sunday in their second round, first leg meeting with Simba.

Zamalek is a strong favorite on its second trip to east Africa after an easy 7-1 aggregate win over Nzoia Sugar of Kenya in the first round last month.

Egypt's other representatives in the competition, Ismailia also have modest looking opposition in the form of AS Port Louis 2000 of Mauritius, where the first leg will be played on Sunday.

African Cup Winners Cup holder Wydad Casablanca is away at Al Hilal of Libya in Benghazi on Saturday, but officials said new Serbian coach Zarko Olaveric, who has been in charge for two matches, would be replaced for the game.

In the CAF Cup, JS Kabylie of Algeria set out in search of an unprecedented fourth successive title with a trip to Senegal to face AS Sonacos in Dakar on Saturday.

JSK had a bye in the first round but go into the weekend's game downcast after its last-gasp failure to win its final league match Monday and thereby secure the runners-up berth in the Algerian championship, which would have earned it a place in next year's expanded Champions League.

Also playing its first match of the competition are Al Ahli of Egypt, which is on the brink of taking its domestic league title.

Al Ahli is away at Al Nasr of Libya in Benghazi on Friday. All of the return legs of the second round matches will be played on the weekend of May 30-31 and June 1.

Botswana names unchanged squad

GABORONE (Reuters) -- Botswana's Serbian coach Vesselin Jelusic has picked an unchanged squad for the country's Cosafa Castle Cup quarter-final against Malawi in Gaborone on May 25, officials said on Thursday.

The 18-man squad is the one chosen for the 1-0 win over Namibia in the first round in March, the first time that Botswana had won a match in seven years of competing in the annual regional competition.

Squad: Goalkeepers: Modiri Marumo (Botswana Defence Force XI), Kagiso Tshelametsi (Township Rollers) Defenders: Ernest Amos (TASC FC), Mogogi Gabonamong (Mogoditshane Fighters), Pius Kolagano (Dangerous Aces, South Africa), Michael Mogaladi (TASC FC), Shepherd Mosekgwa (Botswana Defence Force XI), Tebogo Mothusi (TASC FC), Khumo Motlhabane (Botswana Meat Commission) Midfielders: Nelson Gabolwelwe (Botswana Defence Force XI), Kabelo Kgosiang (Prisons XI), Barney Marman (Mogoditshane Fighters), Patrick Mathaba (Miscellaneous FC), Innocent Ranku (Flamingo FC), Busang Rasefako (Jwaneng Comets) Strikers: Duncan Kgopolelo (Wonder Sporting), Mpho Mabogo (Botswana Defence Force XI), Tshepiso Molwantwa (Dangerous Aces, South Africa)

Two new players in Algeria squad vs. Burkino Faso

ALGIERS (Reuters) -- Algeria named a 24-man squad including two new players, for a friendly international against Burkina Faso, to be played in Lens, France on May 24, officials said on Thursday.

Coach George Leekens brought in Benhalima Rouane from USM Blida and the 19-year-old French-born defender Demai Aimen from second division Metz.

He was unable to call up players from champions USM Alger and JS Kabylie, who both have African club competition ties a week after the international at the Felix Bollaert stadium.

The match against Burkina Faso serves as preparation for the African Nations Cup qualifier at home to Namibia on June 20.

Squad: Goalkeepers: Farid Benmellat (JSM Bjaa), Mohamed Oussrir (RC Kouba) Defenders: Kemeleddine Bouacida (Mouloudia Alger), Amen Dema (Metz, France), Smal Diss (USM Blida), Moulay Haddou (Mouloudia Oran), Mamar Mamouni (Crteil, France), Zoubir Ouasti (Mouloudia Oran), Samir Zaoui (ASO Chlef), Abderraouf Zarabi (NA Hussein Dey) Midfielders: Malek At Alia (Clermont-Ferrand, France), Anouar Boudjakdji (Chabab Belouizdad), Fadel Brahami (Le Havre, France), Nasreddine Kraouche (Ghent, Belgium)., Yazid Mansouri (Le Havre, France), Kamel Maouche (USM Blida), Brahim Ouhid (Mouloudia Alger), Hakim Saci (Guingamp, France) Strikers: Djamel Belmadi (Manchester City, England), Yacine Bezzaz (Ajaccio, France), Adelmalek Cherrad (Nice, France), Bouabdellah Daoud (Mouloudia Oran), Fars Fellahi (Entente Stif), Benhalima Raoune (USM Blida)

 

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Both the Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.