WHEN Moeneeb Josephs came out of international football retirement, he was convinced he would stake his claim for the Bafana Bafana No1 jersey. But on the evidence of yesterday's squad announcement, he has again missed out.

The Orlando Pirates keeper, who surrendered his first-team place at club level to Senzo Meyiwa early last month, was the big casualty in coach Gordon Igesund's provisional squad for the Africa Cup of Nations next month.

Igesund named a team of 36 players - 24 of whom will feature in the friendly against Malawi on December 22 in Durban, and 12 that will complete the training camp five days later.

Josephs has not been picked, with Meyiwa instead getting the nod as one of the four goalkeepers. Josephs quit as Bafana's No2 goalkeeper in May under then coach Pitso Mosimane, only to return when Igesund took over.

And, with only two Absa Premiership games to be played before end of the year, it is unlikely that Josephs will displace Meyiwa at Pirates.

Pirates' Roger de Sa confirmed as much following Meyiwa's heroics in the Soweto derby against rivals Kaizer Chiefs on Saturday.

A long list of other players joined Josephs in missing out on the continental tournament.