Johannesburg - After more than a decade of being a team doctor with the South African Football Association (SAFA), Ephraim Nematswerani has finally decided to call it a day as the national team doctor.

He has been with SAFA working with Bafana Bafana since the year 2000, and then moved to the Under-23 National team from 2001 to 2007. He returned to Bafana Bafana in 2007 until last year. His last match was the friendly international against Zimbabwe in the capital Harare in November 2011.

Nematswerani has also served the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (SASCOC) as medical officer of Team SA in various games (medical officer at Tsutsumani Village in Alexandra during the 1999 Johannesburg All Africa Games, medical officer for Team SA, 2003 AAG in Abuja Nigeria; 2005 World Games in Duisburg Germany; 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne Australia; 2007 AAG in Algiers Algeria and the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing China).

He has also retired from the position of medical officer/team doctor for Team SA at SASCOC, but will continue to serve in the SASCOC Medical and Anti-doping Commission.

Nematswerani will remain at PSL club Moroka Swallows where he is the team doctor.

"I feel I have served the Association to the best of my abilities over the years, and after more than 10 years of working as the national team doctor, it's now time to give younger doctors a chance.

SAFA has been extremely supportive to me all these years, and it is for this reason that I'll never turn my back against the Association.

I'll always remain available to offer my services in whatever role, other than team doctor. I'll miss the camps though, and the players who have been fantastic to work with over the years,'' said Nematswerani.

"Carl Kgabo Tabane, currently the team doctor at SuperSport United will take over my position in the interim. He comes with my full blessings and high recommendations," he added.

Tabane has already started working with Bafana Bafana and is currently in camp at the Royal Bafokeng Sports Campus. He was with the squad that travelled to Equatorial Guinea.

SAFA thanked Nematswerani for his loyal service over the years and wished him well in his future endeavours.