By Mark Gleeson BBC Sport, Cape Town

Coach Ephraim Mashaba wants to drop stars

South Africa coach Ephraim Mashaba has rejected calls to recall several top players for the friendly against England on 22 May in Durban.

Mashaba has been under increasing pressure since the drab goalless draw in a friendly with Jamaica in Cape Town last Wednesday.

Newspaper columns and callers on radio talk shows have also attacked the coach for dropping the experienced players.

Former captain Lucas Radebe was left out before he retired from international football last month.

England based Shaun Bartlett has also been conspicuously absent and Benni McCarthy has been out of favour since a bust-up with management over his commercial contract with Safa last September.

But Mashaba insists he has already raised the hopes of a new generation of players, who want to take on the English.

The coach has publicly criticised the likes of Radebe and Manchester United midfielder, Quinton Fortune for "putting club duty first."