HOLLAND-based attacking midfielder Thulani "Simply The Best" Serero is still committed to Bafana Bafana despite being shown the door by coach Gordon Igesund.
Igesund said Serero was kicked out of Bafana because he did not want to play against Botswana in Saturday's 2014 World Cup qualifier for fear of getting injured and missing Ajax Amsterdam's European Champions League game against Spanish giants Barcelona on September 18.
Speaking through his mentor Mike Ntombela yesterday, Serero denied faking injury.
"I will never do such a thing," he said. "I have played for Bafana Bafana in the past ahead of big Champions League games. The other thing is I'm not the coach, so there is no guarantee that I will play. I would not have travelled to Durban from Holland if I did not want to play.
"The truth of the matter is that I started feeling an excruciating pain after Wednesday's training. Later in the evening, I went to coach Gordon to explain to him that I suspect my niggling groin problem is coming back. It was the same pain I felt when I was out of action for several months last year."
Igesund told reporters after the win over Botswana that he would submit a report to Safa to take the matter further.
Serero denies faking injury
HOLLAND-based attacking midfielder Thulani "Simply The Best" Serero is still committed to Bafana Bafana despite being shown the door by coach Gordon Igesund.
Igesund said Serero was kicked out of Bafana because he did not want to play against Botswana in Saturday's 2014 World Cup qualifier for fear of getting injured and missing Ajax Amsterdam's European Champions League game against Spanish giants Barcelona on September 18.
Speaking through his mentor Mike Ntombela yesterday, Serero denied faking injury.
"I will never do such a thing," he said. "I have played for Bafana Bafana in the past ahead of big Champions League games. The other thing is I'm not the coach, so there is no guarantee that I will play. I would not have travelled to Durban from Holland if I did not want to play.
"The truth of the matter is that I started feeling an excruciating pain after Wednesday's training. Later in the evening, I went to coach Gordon to explain to him that I suspect my niggling groin problem is coming back. It was the same pain I felt when I was out of action for several months last year."
Igesund told reporters after the win over Botswana that he would submit a report to Safa to take the matter further.