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More woes for Bafana squad

Johannesburg - Following 11 player withdrawals from the Bafana Bafana squad on Tuesday, the South African Football Association (SAFA) announced another four changes to the side.

Coach Gordon Igesund was forced to make the further alterations to his 18-man squad on Wednesday.

He brought in Siyabonga Nhlapo, Reneilwe Letsholonyane, Sibusiso Khumalo, and Siphelele Mthembu.

Oupa Manyisa, Teko Modise, Thabo Matlaba and Kermit Erasmus all withdrew - a day after being included in the squad.

Bafana are due to play Australia in a friendly match in Sydney on Monday, which falls outside a FIFA-sanctioned date as the Aussies fine-tune their preparations for the Soccer World Cup.

Four days later, Bafana are scheduled to play New Zealand in Auckland.

Despite having to make a total of 15 changes to his original squad for the short tour, Igesund maintained he was content with the situation.

"I am very happy with this squad," said Igesund at a training session at Orlando Stadium on Wednesday.

"As I said before, I have identified around 34 players who form the core of my vision and all these replacements are part of that bigger group. We are going to Australia and New Zealand to compete," said Igesund.

The squad was originally scheduled to leave for Australia on Wednesday, but will now leave on Thursday as team management scramble to secure visas and officials documents for the late additional players to make the trip.

Bafana squad:

Goalkeepers: Ronwen Williams, Senzo Meyiwa.

Defenders: Thabo Nthethe, Buhle Mkhwanazi, Thato Mokeke, Anele Ngcongca, Sibusiso Khumalo, Erick Mathoho.

Midfielders: Reneilwe Letsholonyane, Siyabonga Nhlapho, Bongani Zungu, Themba Zwane, Thulani Serero, Thuso Phala, Hlompho Kekana, Ayanda Patosi, Siphelele Mthembu, Tokelo Rantie.

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