Cape Town - AmaZulu fullback Marc van Heerden reveals he is doing his best to put the club's relegation out of his mind as he prepares for the COSAFA Cup with the Bafana Bafana squad.
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Van Heerden was called up to a youthful and inexperienced squad as coach Shakes Mashaba tries to give some new faces a chance and increase competition for places in the national side.
"A lot has been going on through my mind following the relegation, but I have shifted my focus on doing well for the national team," Van Heerden told Usuthu's website.
"With the call-up I have not really had much time to think about what happened as I had shifted my focus on doing well for the national team.
"It is really good to be back in the Bafana set-up, playing for my country is always a privilege. Being able to wear the national colours and playing in front of our countrymen is special," he concluded.
South Africa will enter the tournament in the quarter-final stage where they will play Botswana at the Moruleng Stadium on Sunday, May 24.
However, it remains uncertain whether or not Van Heerden will feature in the game this weekend as he missed both of South Africa's warm-up games with an Achilles tendon injury.