CAPE TOWN — Ajax Amsterdam star Thulani Serero was left out of the final 23-member Bafana Bafana squad for the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) to be played from January 17 to February 8 2015.
Serero was initially part of the 34-member preliminary squad and was expected to join the mini-camp which started on December 26.
However, the player did not turn up after his Dutch club had requested the national team to allow him time to rest — this despite the fact that the player arrived two days before the scheduled camp.
Bafana coach Shakes Mashaba kept faith with most of the players that did duty during the Afcon 2015 qualifiers with midfielder Dean Furman (England) expected to join camp early next month due to club commitments.
Mashaba named three goalkeepers, seven defenders, nine midfielders and four strikers.
Of the seven overseas-based contingent called up in the provisional squad, only Serero and Ayanda Patosi would miss out on the plane to Equatorial Guinea.
Andile Jali, who did not train with the team since his arrival due to a knock on the knee, has been declared fit to travel.
—SuperSport
