Absent Rovers star McCarthy set for showdown talks with South Africa

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McCarthy was the only player in the 25-man squad who failed to attend a training camp in Johannesburg, making him a major doubt for Bafana Bafana's opening 2010 African Nations Cup qualifier against Nigeria in Abuja on Sunday.

No show: Benni McCarthy, pictured above for Rovers, failed to attend a training camp in Johannesburg

No reason was given for McCarthy's absence, with team manager Sipho Nkumane saying that the 30-year-old had cited "personal reasons" for his no-show.

And according to a South African Football Association (SAFA) media release today the nature of McCarthy's unavailability "remains confidential".

The statement also revealed the player will be in camp tomorrow, where he will hold "face-to-face" discussions with new coach Santana.

McCarthy had to be talked out of an 18-month international exile by South Africa's previous coach Carlos Alberto Parreira last year.

After helping the country qualify for the 2008 African Nations Cup late last year, he was surprisingly left out for the tournament in Ghana as Parreira opted to groom younger players ahead of the 2010 World Cup.

His latest failure to show may have already cost him though, with SAFA having added Mamelodi Sundowns striker Lerato Chabangu as a replacement in the squad.