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Johannesburg - Bafana Bafana's preparations for Saturday's international friendly against Tanzania were thrown into disarray after Kaizer Chiefs recalled their three players, reports the Sowetan.
The trio are Reneilwe Letsholonyane, Itumeleng Khune and Siphiwe Tshabalala, who was named captain of the team by coach Pitso Mosimane on Monday.
Chiefs were irked by the fact that Ajax Cape Town refused to release their players as the Urban Warriors wanted them to be part of the preparations for their crunch final Absa Premiership match of the season against Maritzburg United.
Ajax must win against Maritzburg United in the Mother City on May 21 to be crowned the 2010-11 Premiership championships.
Chiefs general manager Bobby Motaung said on Tuesday: "We are also in the running for the league.
"If all the clubs in the league support Bafana Bafana, let us do it fairly. We have requested SAFA to return our players.
"We want the players to be part of the preparations for the game against AmaZulu on May 21. Every team challenging for the league, fighting hard to finish inside the top-eight bracket or avoid relegation, is faced with the same pressure.
"It is for that reason that we have decided to recall our players and I want to reiterate that we are 110 percent behind Pitso and the team to do well in Tanzania."
Speaking at a media briefing in Johannesburg when he announced the squad on Monday, Mosimane said he wanted to include three Ajax players in the Tanzania-bound team but left them out after the Cape club refused to release them.
The three players Mosimane tried in vain to recruit from Ajax were Thulani Serero, Thulani Hlatshwayo and George Maluleke.
Mosimane could not act against Ajax because the friendly does not fall under the Fifa calendar.
SAFA communications director Morio Sanyane said on Tuesday: "All I can tell you is that we are in discussions with Chiefs on the matter."
Motaung added: "We do understand Orlando Pirates's situation because they are playing a Nedbank Cup semi-final against Mpumalanga Black Aces on Saturday night".
The trio are Reneilwe Letsholonyane, Itumeleng Khune and Siphiwe Tshabalala, who was named captain of the team by coach Pitso Mosimane on Monday.
Chiefs were irked by the fact that Ajax Cape Town refused to release their players as the Urban Warriors wanted them to be part of the preparations for their crunch final Absa Premiership match of the season against Maritzburg United.
Ajax must win against Maritzburg United in the Mother City on May 21 to be crowned the 2010-11 Premiership championships.
Chiefs general manager Bobby Motaung said on Tuesday: "We are also in the running for the league.
"If all the clubs in the league support Bafana Bafana, let us do it fairly. We have requested SAFA to return our players.
"We want the players to be part of the preparations for the game against AmaZulu on May 21. Every team challenging for the league, fighting hard to finish inside the top-eight bracket or avoid relegation, is faced with the same pressure.
"It is for that reason that we have decided to recall our players and I want to reiterate that we are 110 percent behind Pitso and the team to do well in Tanzania."
Speaking at a media briefing in Johannesburg when he announced the squad on Monday, Mosimane said he wanted to include three Ajax players in the Tanzania-bound team but left them out after the Cape club refused to release them.
The three players Mosimane tried in vain to recruit from Ajax were Thulani Serero, Thulani Hlatshwayo and George Maluleke.
Mosimane could not act against Ajax because the friendly does not fall under the Fifa calendar.
SAFA communications director Morio Sanyane said on Tuesday: "All I can tell you is that we are in discussions with Chiefs on the matter."
Motaung added: "We do understand Orlando Pirates's situation because they are playing a Nedbank Cup semi-final against Mpumalanga Black Aces on Saturday night".
