Benni McCarthy is close to agreeing to return to the South Africa squad

He looks set to play for next month's 2006 World Cup and African Cup of Nations qualifier in Ghana.

The Porto striker McCarthy has been holding out for an assurance from the South African Football Association (Safa) that he will not be punished if he puts club above country in future assignments.

McCarthy says he wants a written assurance that if he plays for his club rather than country South Africa will not invoke the Fifa rule that allows the suspension of players who miss international assignments from club duty.

So far Safa president Molefi Oliphant has not given that assurance, despite promises to look into the complaints of all the country's top footballers when he met them in London in March.

While new national coach Stuart Baxter has managed to persuade most of the country's disaffected footballers to return to the Bafana Bafana squad, McCarthy has been the one hold-out.

McCarthy, who came on as a substitute for Porto as they won the European Champions League on Wednesday, quit the national side ahead of the Cup of Nations finals in Tunisia earlier this year,

He is unavailable for his country's opening 2006 qualifier against the Cape Verde Islands in Bloemfontein on 5 June because he will be getting married.

Baxter has been furiously trying to persuade him to return for the match in Kumasi against Ghana's Black Stars on 20 June.

The match could be key to the outcome of the group, where only the top placed finisher qualifiers for the 2006 World Cup finals in Germany.

A settlement of the outstanding issue is expected in the next days, according to officials.

McCarthy played the last of his 51 appearances for South Africa in November as they lost 2-0 to Tunisia.