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Cape Town - South Africa coach Shakes Mashaba expects to be without Rivaldo Coetzee for the remainder of the Africa Cup of Nations due to the knee injury he sustained.
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The Ajax Cape Town centre-back needed to be stretchered off the field during Bafana Bafana's 3-1 defeat to Algeria on Monday, and Mashaba admits the 18-year-old's continental campaign looks to be over.
"To me it looked serious. I doubt he will come back," said Mashaba.
"He was limping and the only way he can come back is if our medical staff will be able to deal with it, but for now I have ruled him out."
Mashaba has now confirmed that Erick Mathoho will come in as his replacement for Friday's second Group C clash against Senegal.
He said: "We've got Mathoho to take that (centre-back) position. If he had been around (on Monday) we would have paired him with Rivaldo and played Thulani Hlatshwayo at right back, where we had a problem from the first whistle up until the last.
"The return of Mathoho gives us some comfort in defending. He can also play the ball on his feet and can communicate."
