It is a case of one in and one out for national under-23 coach Owen da Gama as he looks to finalise his squad for the Africa Under-23 Cup of Nations in Senegal later this month.
Da Gama will have the services of French-based forward Lebogang Mothiba for the tournament, if he decides to select the 19-year-old. But he will be without midfielder Lebogang Phiri, who plays in Denmark.
Mothiba's French club Lille have said they will release him for the tournament. Mothiba currently features in the club's reserve side, who play in the fifth tier of football in that country.
He netted in his last outing for the team and insiders say he is making steady progress at the club.
"We could not get Mothiba for the training camp this week but the club have said they will release him for Senegal if we decide to select him," Da Gama told Sowetan yesterday, before revealing the opposite was true for Phiri.
"We did have the opportunity to bring Phiri into the camp, as it falls on Fifa dates, but his Danish side [Brondby] made it clear ... he would not be released for the tournament. So we have had to look at other options."
The Africa Under-23 Cup of Nations, which also serves as the qualification tournament for the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro in Brazil next year, is being played outside of the Fifa match-day calendar and this means clubs are not obliged to release their players.
The PSL worked the tournament into its fixture list this season to encourage domestic clubs to support the national team. However, there is no such incentive for those potential stars who play in Europe.
Phiri is a key member of the Brondby team, having already made 23 starts this season, more than any other South African player at home or abroad.
The Danish League breaks for its winter recess on December 7, the day before the semifinals of the under-23 tournament start in Senegal.
Aside from Phiri and Mothiba, the only other European-based player Da Gama has selected recently is defender Ntuthuko Radebe, who plays in Belgium's second tier.
SA play the hosts in the tournament's opener on November 28 before a meeting with Zambia on December 1. Their final Group A game is against north African side Tunisia three days later.
S A need to finish in the top three in the competition to book a place at the Olympic Games in August.
Da Gama gets ready to select final squad
It is a case of one in and one out for national under-23 coach Owen da Gama as he looks to finalise his squad for the Africa Under-23 Cup of Nations in Senegal later this month.
Da Gama will have the services of French-based forward Lebogang Mothiba for the tournament, if he decides to select the 19-year-old. But he will be without midfielder Lebogang Phiri, who plays in Denmark.
Mothiba's French club Lille have said they will release him for the tournament. Mothiba currently features in the club's reserve side, who play in the fifth tier of football in that country.
He netted in his last outing for the team and insiders say he is making steady progress at the club.
"We could not get Mothiba for the training camp this week but the club have said they will release him for Senegal if we decide to select him," Da Gama told Sowetan yesterday, before revealing the opposite was true for Phiri.
"We did have the opportunity to bring Phiri into the camp, as it falls on Fifa dates, but his Danish side [Brondby] made it clear ... he would not be released for the tournament. So we have had to look at other options."
The Africa Under-23 Cup of Nations, which also serves as the qualification tournament for the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro in Brazil next year, is being played outside of the Fifa match-day calendar and this means clubs are not obliged to release their players.
The PSL worked the tournament into its fixture list this season to encourage domestic clubs to support the national team. However, there is no such incentive for those potential stars who play in Europe.
Phiri is a key member of the Brondby team, having already made 23 starts this season, more than any other South African player at home or abroad.
The Danish League breaks for its winter recess on December 7, the day before the semifinals of the under-23 tournament start in Senegal.
Aside from Phiri and Mothiba, the only other European-based player Da Gama has selected recently is defender Ntuthuko Radebe, who plays in Belgium's second tier.
SA play the hosts in the tournament's opener on November 28 before a meeting with Zambia on December 1. Their final Group A game is against north African side Tunisia three days later.
S A need to finish in the top three in the competition to book a place at the Olympic Games in August.
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