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By Mark Gleeson BBC Sport Online

Lucas Radebe
Mashaba says Radebe is "dishonest"

South Africa coach Ephraim Mashaba has launched a stinging attack on several of his key players, including captain Lucas Radebe.

Radebe has a knee injury and has not been named in the South Africa squad to face Burundi in a African Nations Cup qualifier on 13 October.

Mashaba said he had wanted to call up Radebe but was forced to leave him out because of a lack of clarity over the defender's physical condition.

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"I feel there is some dishonesty in the player," he said of Radebe, who missed Leeds' Uefa Cup tie against Metalurg Zaporizhzhya.

"Correct me if I'm wrong, but Fifa rules state that if a player is called up, whether he is injured or not, he must travel back to his country to be checked and assessed, but our guys just ignore this."

Mashaba also criticised winger Delron Buckley who plays for German club VfL Bochum.

We are putting players with no patriotism in the park

Ephraim Mashaba

Buckley missed the last Nations Cup qualifier against the Ivory Coast in Abidjan but then played in the Bundesliga two days later.

"We called up Delron Buckley but he did not reply to us for a week," said Mashaba.

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"Then he called us to tell us he had a stomach bug and couldn't travel.

"A stomach bug, that's a joke."

And, Mashaba warned that if players continued to stay away from South Africa they would be frozen out completely.

"We are putting players with no patriotism in the park," he added.

Benni McCarthy
McCarthy remains frozen out

"Let's now come to an agreement that if a player goes overseas, he must remain committed to his country."

Meanwhile, striker Benni McCarthy was left out of the squad after refusing to apologise for comments he made about the South African Football Association.

McCarthy ditched by SA

McCarthy was talking about the South African FA's attempts to get players to sign a new contract, which drastically cut their appearances fees.

South Africa squad:

Goalkeepers: Andre Arendse (Santos), Brian Baloyi (Kaizer Chiefs)

Defenders: Tony Coyle (Wits University), Jacob Lekgetho (Lokomotiv Moscow, Russia), Lucky Legwathi, Mbulelo Mabizela (both Orlando Pirates), Ashley Makhanya (Wits University), Aaron Mokoena (Germinal Beerschot, Belgium), Thabang Molefe (Lyn Oslo, Norway), Cyril Nzama (Kaizer Chiefs)

Midfielders: Delron Buckley (VfL Bochum, Germany), Phulani Dindi (Dynamos), Sam Magalefa (Jomo Cosmos), Goodman Mazibuko (Orlando Pirates), Tebeho Mokoena (Jomo Cosmos), Benedict Vilakazi (Orlando Pirates), Sibusiso Zuma (FC Copenhagen, Denmark), Japhet Zwane (Moroka Swallows)

Strikers: Shaun Bartlett (Charlton Athletic, England), Jimmy Kauleza (Orlando Pirates), Lebohang Kukame (Jomo Cosmos), Hareaipha Marumo (Mamelodi Sundowns), Patrick Mayo (SuperSport United)


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