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Igesund wants to keep duo fit

Johannesburg - Bafana Bafana coach Gordon Igesund says he plans to keep Tokelo Rantie and May Mahlangu active now that their season in Sweden is over.

Malmo striker Rantie and Helsingborgs midfielder Mahlangu will have no competitive football in the two months leading up to the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations after the Swedish season came to an end earlier this month.

Igesund needs both players to remain active though, especially Rantie, who is seen as the striker who could get Bafana the goals in the South Africa spectacular next year.

"I have spoken to their clubs and what I want to try to do with Tokelo and May is to try to arrange with their clubs overseas to allow those players to train with the clubs over here for a month and a half just to stay active," Igesund told Football411.

"May is not part of the squad to play Zambia, because I want to look at other players but he could be considered still for future matches."

However, the 56-year-old tactician admits it is easier said than done.

"There are a lot of issues involving this so, for example, if a player trains with a PSL club and he breaks his leg, who's going to be responsible for it? So there are a lot of loopholes that we need to fix up, but we have thought about it," the former Moroka Swallows coach added.

"The players need to stay active. If I could, I would work with them everyday but the ideal situation will be a training situation. Nothing has been concluded in terms of putting them in a club here, because there are repercussions because we need to get permission.

"Say Rantie comes here and trains with Pirates, but breaks his leg then his club (Malmo) will say, 'Hang on a second, who's going to pay us out now?' So we have to go through the proper channels but we are on top of it," Igesund concluded.

Rantie will line-up for Bafana against Zambia on Wednesday in the Nelson Mandela Challenge at FNB Stadium.

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