Mabhudi Khenyeza has been dropped from the South Africa squad
Indiscipline continues to haunt South Africa's World Cup preparations just seven months before next year's finals.
Repeat offender Mabhudi Khenyeza is the third player this year to be ousted from Bafana Bafana for alleged ill-discipline.
The Mamelodi Sundowns striker has now been replaced in the squad for the forthcoming friendlies against Japan and Jamaica by Richard Henyekane.
Khenyeza should have been in camp on Sunday but only arrived on Monday.
"At this point of the final lap to the World Cup, we cannot accept these things happening," coach Carlos Alberto Parreira said in a statement.
"We will not accept this kind of behaviour from any player in the team."
Khenyeza's behaviour is surprising given that the chance to push for a World Cup place for next year's hosts is at stake.
The forward cited personal reasons for reporting late, but assistant coach Pitso Mosimane said his conduct had been unacceptable.
"Irrespective of that, he can't behave like this - he should have communicated with us," Mosimane told The Star newspaper.
This is not the first time this year that Khenyeza has been dropped for indiscipline.
In May, the forward was axed by former coach Joel Santana as South Africa prepared for the Confederations Cup after he failed to report for national duty.
South Africa's Nasief Morris fears he will miss the 2010 World Cup
Ironically, Khenyeza's absence came on the day that Benni McCarthy, dropped for indiscipline by Santana, returned to training with the national side.
The Blackburn Rovers striker also missed June's Confederations Cup after repeated failures to honour international call-ups.
Yet he was in jovial mood as he joined his Bafana Bafana colleagues for the first time in nine months in Johannesburg on Monday.
The third player to have been dropped this year for disciplinary reasons is Nasief Morris, even though the Spain-based defender refutes the charges.
Nonetheless, the Racing Santander man continues to be excluded from Bafana Bafana squads.
Yet the only South African playing in La Liga can take heart from the fact that he was a regular under Parreira during the Brazilian's first stint in charge.
"If we need him in the future, he will be back," Parreira said recently.
"There is nothing against him and we know his experience because he has played for South Africa many times."
But Morris himself is fearing the worst.
"I was very disappointed when I found out," he said.
"I got a phone call from them to check how I was but then wasn't in the squad.
"I heard what Parreira said about knowing what I can do but it doesn't really soften the blow.
"I'm really fearing that I might not be involved next year.
"I thought it was just a problem with the previous coach but it nothing seems to have changed.
"I guess I'll have to wait and see what happens in the future to hope I get selected."
In a separate development, Ajax Cape Town's Lance Davids has replaced injured right-back Siboniso Gaxa in the squad.
South Africa complete their 2009 schedule when they take on Japan in Port Elizabeth on Saturday, before hosting Jamaica in Bloemfontein three days later.
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