Mashaba fell out with some senior players

Mashaba was suspended for seven days on Wednesday by the South African Football Association (Safa) in a move widely seen as a prelude to his dismissal.

Mashaba's terse relationship with key overseas-based players and his apparent failure to keep tabs on the performances of South African players in Europe were cited as the reasons for his suspension.

Acting coach Styles Phumo and captain John Moshoeu, who are preparing for a Cosafa Cup first round tie with Mauritius on Saturday, said the suspension would have little effect on the squad.

"I've been with the team all the time as assistant coach so there's continuity there for the players," Phumo told reporters on Friday ahead of the match in Curepipe.

"I've told the players to forget all the headlines and the speculation and concentrate on the preparations."

Moshoeu said he and his team mates were more focused on winning places in the starting line-up for the country's first match at the Nations Cup finals against Benin on January 27.

"We're all playing for places in the team and this is our chance to show that we deserve to be in the side," said the 38-year-old midfielder, who will equal the record for the most international appearances by a South African on Saturday.

South Africa arrived in Mauritius on Thursday with just 15 of the players set to go to Tunisia.

Goalkeeper Wayne Roberts, who belatedly discovered his passport had expired before departure, was due to arrive on the eve of the game.