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Cape Town - Bafana Bafana coach Gordon Igesund has admitted that he has a defensive crisis ahead of a three-week camp.
With the players set to report in Johannesburg on Wednesday, the coach will be without three players he initially called up two weeks ago.
Kaizer Chiefs defender Siboniso Gaxa, who played a key part in Chiefs’ league and Nedbank Cup championship winning season, has been ruled out of South Africa’s upcoming fixtures because of a hamstring injury.
The defender’s withdrawal comes on the back of the news that both Tshepo Masilela and Kagisho Dikgacoi have pulled out of the squad due to injury.
According to the Cape Times, the trio will be unavailable for Sunday's friendly against Lesotho in Maseru, as well as the away World Cup qualifiers against the Central African Republic (CAR) on June 8 and Ethiopia (June 16).
The injuries have confirmed Igesund's worst fears with Bafana needing to win if they want to qualify for next year's showpiece in Brazil.
"My biggest fear coming into this camp has been confirmed," said Igesund. "I was worried that we would lose more players, and it has happened.
"For some reason, it's in the defensive positions where we are losing players. In addition to these players, we had already lost Morgan Gould, Thabo Matlaba and Siyabonga Sangweni."
Igusund called up Ricardo Nunes and Siyanda Xulu to replace Masilela and Gaxa respectively.
He said he will use the friendly against Lesotho to try out a new defensive combinations, with Thabo Nthethe and Anele Ngcongca now the most experienced defenders.
Ngcongca will start at right back, with either Eric Mathoto or Tefu Mashamaite alongside Nthethe in central defence.
With the players set to report in Johannesburg on Wednesday, the coach will be without three players he initially called up two weeks ago.
Kaizer Chiefs defender Siboniso Gaxa, who played a key part in Chiefs’ league and Nedbank Cup championship winning season, has been ruled out of South Africa’s upcoming fixtures because of a hamstring injury.
The defender’s withdrawal comes on the back of the news that both Tshepo Masilela and Kagisho Dikgacoi have pulled out of the squad due to injury.
According to the Cape Times, the trio will be unavailable for Sunday's friendly against Lesotho in Maseru, as well as the away World Cup qualifiers against the Central African Republic (CAR) on June 8 and Ethiopia (June 16).
The injuries have confirmed Igesund's worst fears with Bafana needing to win if they want to qualify for next year's showpiece in Brazil.
"My biggest fear coming into this camp has been confirmed," said Igesund. "I was worried that we would lose more players, and it has happened.
"For some reason, it's in the defensive positions where we are losing players. In addition to these players, we had already lost Morgan Gould, Thabo Matlaba and Siyabonga Sangweni."
Igusund called up Ricardo Nunes and Siyanda Xulu to replace Masilela and Gaxa respectively.
He said he will use the friendly against Lesotho to try out a new defensive combinations, with Thabo Nthethe and Anele Ngcongca now the most experienced defenders.
Ngcongca will start at right back, with either Eric Mathoto or Tefu Mashamaite alongside Nthethe in central defence.
