Polokwane City’s Cyril Chibwe rejected a call-up to join Bafana Bafana squad and instead chose Zambia Chipolopolo.
Bafana Bafana coach Molefi Nteski has revealed how a PSL player turned down the opportunity to represent the national team in favour of another country.
Bafana had the forced withdrawal of Bidvest Wits goalkeeper Brandon Petersen due to injury over the weekend and had hoped to invite Polokwane City’s Cyril Chibwe as a replacement.
However, Chibwe, who put in a man of the match display for Rise and Shine as they handed Absa Premiership log leaders Kaizer Chiefs a 1-0 defeat – their only one of the season so far – decided to reject the call-up.
Ntseki has since explained that the timing of the call did not suit the 26-year-old Nedbank Ke Yona Team graduate, thus they have opted for Bidvest Wits reserve goalkeeper Ricardo Goss.
“We made small research on Cyril Chibwe from Polokwane City, and he’s a South African, born in North West, and we sent a call-up for him to join us for this camp,” explained Ntseki.
“Unfortunately, he will be playing for his father’s country, which is Zambia. So he will be joining the Zambian team in camp and that is why we have Ricardo coming in. They are the same age, born in 1993.
“I think maybe he [Chibwe] was approached long before us, maybe they made the necessary preparations for him to join the Zambian team because if he did not have a Zambian passport, they would have had to do the necessary documents for him in order to play.
“But I think it is a good thing, we also have some players playing overseas that we feel they need to come and play for Bafana Bafana, and we are also in the process of talking to them, their parents and their clubs so they can have South African citizenship and play for the national team.”
Goss earned his spot after making his first appearance of the season in Wits’ CAF Confederation Cup clash at home to Young Buffaloes of Eswatini, which they won 3-0, and followed up that performance with a clean sheet in their 1-0 league victory over Chippa United at the weekend.
