Pienaar out of Bafana friendly

Johannesburg - Bafana Bafana's midfield concerns took another knock on Sunday when captain Steven Pienaar was withdrawn from the squad to face Burkina Faso in an international friendly in Johannesburg on Wednesday.

Pienaar limped off with a groin injury in Tottenham Hotspur's friendly match against Atletico Bilbao in London, England on Saturday.

"It's part of the game," Bafana head coach Pitso Mosimane said on Sunday.

"He missed the last match against Egypt due to injury and again he is not available for this one, but there's not much one can do about it."

Fellow midfielder Reneilwe Letsholonyane had already been withdrawn from the squad with a knee injury.

Letsholonyane was replaced by Oupa Manyisa for Wednesday's game, a crucial warm-up for Bafana's Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Niger in Niamey in September.

Mosimane said South Africa would simply have to get on with the job, despite missing key players.

"We have to soldier on with the players we have because the show must go on," he said.

"It would have been great to have him (Pienaar) back but it's not the case.

"All I can do is wish him and Letsholonyane a speedy recovery."

Mosimane said he had yet to name a replacement for Pienaar, but vice-captain Siphiwe Tshabalala would take the captain's armband.