Radebe's SA career over

Radebe may never pull on his country's shirt again

Mohammed Allie BBC Sport in Cape Town

Veteran South African defender Lucas Radebe has expressed doubts about playing for Bafana Bafana again.

"It's looking very bleak," he told BBC Sport. "I don't know where I stand with the team."

The coach has not contacted me since he took over

Lucas Radebe

Radebe spoke during a short visit to Cape Town which included watching the opening match of the Cricket World Cup.

He was also one of 40 African sporting greats invited to the opening ceremony as ambassadors of the tournament.

"The coach Ephraim Mashaba has not contacted me since he took over after the World Cup," said Radebe, who captained the team in Korea.

He has not played for South Africa since then.

SA keep Radebe out

His relationship with the South African FA has been further strained after he opted out of a Bafana Bafana training camp in Spain.

According to Radebe's agent, Glyn Binkin, the defenders attendance was subject to his English club Leeds United being knocked out of the FA Cup.

But Leeds won their fourth round replay against Gillingham and are now scheduled to meet Crystal Palace in the next round on Sunday.

Radebe was also injured in that game and was told to rest for a week, according to Binkin.

"Lucas was concussed during the first half of the replay against Gillingham and was advised by the club's doctor not to participate in any contact sport for five to six days," he said.

But Stanley Tshabalala, the Bafana Bafana manager, faxed Leeds to say that even if Radebe could not train, they still wanted him at the camp.

Binkin said that Mark Fish and Shaun Bartlett, who he also manages, would not attend the camp as they were unhappy with having to make their own travel arrangements.

SA blow chance to train in Spain

Although young Ajax star Steven Pienaar made it to Spain, his agent Rob Moore slammed the travel issue.

"Safa apparently asked Ajax to buy the ticket and then invoice them. Ajax told Pienaar that they thought this was very unprofessional," said Moore.