Sandilands may need to move

Johannesburg - Dependable 28 year-old Bafana Bafana and Mamelodi Sundowns goalkeeper Wayne Sandilands may have to look for another club to hold onto his place in the South African squad, said national coach Gordon Igesund on Thursday.

Sundowns had unceremoniously relegated Sandilands to the bench for their opening Premiership game of the season against Bloemfontein Celtic, prefering newly-signed Zambian international goalkeeper Kennedy Mweene instead.

Sandilands was probably the Brazilians' most consistent player last season, in what was another relatively unproductive campaign for billionaire Patrice Motsepe's affluent club.

However, it did not prevent Sundowns coach Pitso Mosimane from dropping Sandilands from his starting line-up without the chance to protect the position he held for the entire 2012/13 season.

"I'm not trying to get involved in Sundowns' selection policy," said Igesund, "because that is entirely their business - or tell Sandilands what is the best course for him to follow.

"But the simple reality of the situation is that if he continues to remain on the bench as the season progresses, I will have to give serious thought about selecting a player who is not experiencing the necessary match competition to ensure he is in top form."

Igesund said in all other respects Sandilands, who is the number two South African goalkeeper to Kaizer Chiefs' Itumeleng Khune, had met the criteria needed to keep his position in the Bafana squad.

"This much is evident by the fact that I have chosen him for the forthcoming games against Nigeria and Burkina Faso on August 14 and 17.

"I also appointed Sandilands as the captain of the Bafana team in the recent Cosafa Cup tournament in Zambia and he fulfilled all the expectations I had for him - both as a player and a leader.

"But it could be a different scenario if the goalkeeper remains inactive for his club.

"We'll just have to wait and see what transpires as the season progresses.

"Moving to another club obviously becoming an option if he wants to hold onto his Bafana status and get the regular kind of action required for the job."