BENNI McCarthy's fitness wrangle looks set to drag on, with Roger de Sa, the striker's coach at Orlando Pirates, unsettled by suggestions that only the Bafana technical team can get the injured forward back into shape.
De Sa's counterpart at Bafana, Gordon Igesund, last week said he was willing to go the extra mile to ensure McCarthy, who is recovering from a hamstring injury, is fit and ready for the Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) in January.
The Bafana coach, whose side will take on Cape Verde, Morocco and Angola in Group A of the tournament, said he was giving McCarthy eight weeks to be available for selection.
The coach is keen to have the Pirates marksman, with 80 Bafana appearances, as his target man at the tournament to be held in South Africa.
Igesund vowed he would "take him (McCarthy) to the Sports Science Institute, work with Pirates and get him to that level where he can make it".
However, De Sa said at the weekend he had not heard from anyone at Safa regarding McCarthy, who suffered the injury while playing for Bafana against Brazil in Sao Paulo last month.
"My concern is not Afcon. Benni has been injured for six weeks since I have been at the club. I've never received a phone call from anyone at Safa asking me how he is until I saw the papers," De Sa said.
"We are trying to get him right, we work with him every day. And we are working on him so he can play for Pirates.
"Afcon is the last thing on my mind. We want him scoring goals for us, and if he is good enough, I'm sure he will get another call-up."
De Sa warned that McCarthy's injury should be approached sensitively instead of rushing the striker, who is Bafana's all-time leading goalscorer.
"We've got to be careful because a hamstring injury at that age (he turns 35 next month) is a very sensitive injury.
"It's quite a bad tear and we did some tests that show quite a bit of healing is needed," De Sa explained.
Although he would like to speed up the forward's recovery, McCarthy will battle to quickly regain his match fitness.
He has only featured in three games, two in the Absa Premiership and one in the cup, so far this season, having last played for Pirates on August 25.
He is yet to score.
"If he has another rupture, we set him back for another seven, eight weeks. Rather extend his recovery. So I reckon he is about two weeks from being available for selection for Pirates," said De Sa.
De Sa warns against rushing Benni for Afcon
BENNI McCarthy's fitness wrangle looks set to drag on, with Roger de Sa, the striker's coach at Orlando Pirates, unsettled by suggestions that only the Bafana technical team can get the injured forward back into shape.
De Sa's counterpart at Bafana, Gordon Igesund, last week said he was willing to go the extra mile to ensure McCarthy, who is recovering from a hamstring injury, is fit and ready for the Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) in January.
The Bafana coach, whose side will take on Cape Verde, Morocco and Angola in Group A of the tournament, said he was giving McCarthy eight weeks to be available for selection.
The coach is keen to have the Pirates marksman, with 80 Bafana appearances, as his target man at the tournament to be held in South Africa.
Igesund vowed he would "take him (McCarthy) to the Sports Science Institute, work with Pirates and get him to that level where he can make it".
However, De Sa said at the weekend he had not heard from anyone at Safa regarding McCarthy, who suffered the injury while playing for Bafana against Brazil in Sao Paulo last month.
"My concern is not Afcon. Benni has been injured for six weeks since I have been at the club. I've never received a phone call from anyone at Safa asking me how he is until I saw the papers," De Sa said.
"We are trying to get him right, we work with him every day. And we are working on him so he can play for Pirates.
"Afcon is the last thing on my mind. We want him scoring goals for us, and if he is good enough, I'm sure he will get another call-up."
De Sa warned that McCarthy's injury should be approached sensitively instead of rushing the striker, who is Bafana's all-time leading goalscorer.
"We've got to be careful because a hamstring injury at that age (he turns 35 next month) is a very sensitive injury.
"It's quite a bad tear and we did some tests that show quite a bit of healing is needed," De Sa explained.
Although he would like to speed up the forward's recovery, McCarthy will battle to quickly regain his match fitness.
He has only featured in three games, two in the Absa Premiership and one in the cup, so far this season, having last played for Pirates on August 25.
He is yet to score.
"If he has another rupture, we set him back for another seven, eight weeks. Rather extend his recovery. So I reckon he is about two weeks from being available for selection for Pirates," said De Sa.
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