Pienaar withdrawn from Bafana squad

Monday, August 8, 2011

Pretoria - Bafana Bafana skipper and Tottenham Hotspur sensational midfielder, Steven Pienaar, will miss the international friendly against Burkina Faso on Wednesday at Ellis Park stadium.

Bafana head coach Pitso "Jingles" Mosimane, who had since expressed his disappointment at not having Pienaar at his camp, has still not decided on a replacement.

The Bafana skipper limped off with a groin injury in his club's friendly match against Atletico Bilbao in England on Saturday, 6 August.

Pienaar is the second Bafana player to be withdrawn from the squad after the injured Kaizer Chiefs midfielder Reneilwe Letsholonyane was replaced by Oupa Manyisa of Orlando Pirates.

Letsholonyane injured his knee in the Black Label Carling Cup match against Orlando Pirates at the FNB Stadium played on Saturday, 30 July.

Reacting Pienaar's injury, Mosimane said: "What can I say? It's part of the game. He missed the last match against Egypt due to injury and again he is not available for this one, but there's not much one can do about it.

"We have to soldier on with the players we have because the show must go on. It would have been great to have him back but it's not the case. All I can do is wish him and Letsholonyane a speedy recovery."

Kaizer Chiefs player and Bafana vice-captain, Siphiwe Tshabalala, will take over the armband when Bafana clash against the West Africans on Wednesday.

Tickets for the match between Bafana Bafana and Burkina Faso are still on sale at all Computicket outlets, as well as Shoprite and Shoprite/Checkers stores around the country.

Tickets for the upper tier stands are R50 each and R100 for the lower tier stands. There are also VIP hospitality packages ranging from R655 to one R1 400.

Members of the public can also purchase parking tickets for R50 at Computicket outlets. Parking will be at the Cricket Oval in Bertrams Street as well as Johannesburg Stadium's B Field, with entry through Van Beeck Street.

On the day of the match, parking tickets will be on sale at the Johannesburg Stadium (entry through Van Beeck Street) as well as the Ellis Park Arena (entry through Bertrams Street).

For more information on the hospitality packages, contact Willie Geldenhuys, Susan Odendaal or Nokwazi Miya on this email address: sales@ellispark.co.za.

Kick-off of the match, which is being used to fine-tune Bafana ahead of their crucial away 2012 Afcon match against Niger next month, is 8:15pm.