Ramatsiyi Moholoa

Ramatsiyi Moholoa

Joel Santana, beleaguered Bafana Bafana coach, has roped Europe-based Matthew Pattison and Dean Furman into the team to play a friendly against Australia.

The duo were yesterday included in the team to face the Socceroos at Loftus Road Stadium in London next Tuesday.

Pattison, 21, and Furman, 20, were previously called up for Bafana Bafana and Under-23 duties only to withdraw due to injuries at the 11th hour.

Cape Town-born Furman is doing duty for Scottish Premier League club Glasgow Rangers. Furman joined Rangers from English outfit Chelsea in May 2006. Newcastle United player Pattison, who was born in Johannesburg, is on loan with Norwich City.

Another notable name in the team is Benni McCarthy. His latest inclusion comes after he criticised Bafana Bafana's selection criteria, saying only players from Orlando Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs were considered.

Safa asked the player to explain his utterances, but he is yet to respond.

Santana has also recalled the almost forgotten Germany-based duo of Bradley Carnell and Siyabonga Nkosi.

But there was no room for Matthew Booth who plays in Russia.

Despite not being fully fit, Mamelodi Sundowns' Sibusiso Zuma returns to the team. Sanity has finally prevailed with the inclusion of Lefa Tsutsulupa, whose five-star display helped Amabinneplaas reclaim the Cosafa Senior Challenge.

Santana said the game against Australia was important as it is an opportunity to assess the players ahead of the big one against Nigeria on September 6.

Israel-based Tsepo Masilela is injured, while teammate Thembinkosi Fanteni was not selected for this game.

The match starts at 8pm. SABC Sport will show it at 9pm.

The squad is:

Goalkeepers - Itumeleng Khune (Kaizer Chiefs), Moeneeb Josephs (Orlando Pirates);

Defenders - Aaron Mokoena (Blackburn Rovers, England), Bongani Khumalo (SuperSport United), Nazier Allie (Ajax Cape Town), Bryce Moon (Ajax), Nasief Morris (Panathinaikos, Greece), Bevan Fransman (Maccabi Netanya, Israel), Bradley Carnell (Karlsruher), Innocent Mdledle (Pirates);

Midfielders - Lance Davids (Djursgardens, Sweden), MacBeth Sibaya (Rubin Kazan, Russia), Thulasizwe Mbuyane (Pirates), Pattison, Surprise Moriri (Sundowns), Kagiso Dikgacoi (Golden Arrows), Tsutsulupa, Siyabonga Nkosi (Arminia Bielefeld, Germany), Furman, Teko Modise (Pirates), Siphiwe Tshabalala (Chiefs);

Strikers - Zuma, Katlego Mphela (Sundowns), McCarthy.