McCarthy in SA squad

Benni McCarthy's return to the South African national side has been delayed.

The Porto striker announced his retirement from international football after a row last year and missed the 2004 African Cup of Nations finals in Tunisia.

Last week, the 26-year-old was named by new Bafana Bafana coach Stuart Baxter in a 22-man squad to assemble in England for a three-day training camp that will take place next week.

However, the South African Football Association (Safa) said on Saturday it has yet to conclude negotiations with McCarthy and, as a result, he would not be joining up with the squad.

McCarthy, who has scored 22 goals in 51 internationals, has had several disputes with Safa in club-versus-country rows and also missed the 2000 Nations Cup finals in Ghana and Nigeria.

Other names missing from Stuart Baxter's 22 are striker Siyabonga Nomvete and Russia-based left wing Dillon Sheppard, both of whom have pulled out of the squad.

They have been replaced by Denmark-based winger Josta Dladla and the uncapped pair of Asanda Shishuba from Antwerp in Belgium and Elrio van Heerden of Denmark's FC Copenhagen.