Bafana Bafana care taker coach Pitso Mosimane has kept favour with a number of the Kaizer Chiefs players who were part of the national team when South Africa defeated Namibia in a friendly game, in Windhoek on the 16th August.

Mosimane selected four Chiefs players for the Namibia friendly three of whom featured in the game, Rowen Fernandez completed ninety minutes against the Namibians while Siyabonga Nkosi and Cyril Nzama made cameo appearances as substitutes.

The fourth Chiefs player chosen for that game Gert Schalkwyk did not feature at all, Mosimane rung the changes when he announced the Bafana Bafana squad to play against Congo in a 2008 Africa Cup of nations qualifying on the 2nd September in Johannesburg.

While Siyabonga Nkosi, Cyril Nzama and Rowen Fernandez keep their places in the 19 men Bafana Bafana squad, Gert Schalkwyk has been axed all by Mosimane a decision, which has surprised Amakhosi coach Ernst Middendorp who commented.

“I really found it surprising when they called him up and did not give him a chance to play in the game against Namibia, now I am furthered perplexed by the fact that he has been omitted all together, Gert has been playing well recently and I can’t see why they would want to drop him”.

Amakhosi goalkeeper Rowen Fernandez who was South Africa’s start performer in the Namibia game, as he made a number of vital stops which enabled him to keep a clean sheet and further strength his claims to the number one jersey.

He is hopeful that should the coach show favour with him against Congo his aim will be to keep collect his third clean sheet for the national team adding, “my first aim was to play well and get a recall.

Thankfully I have been able to achieve that, next I intend to once more do my best in order to try and strengthen my position as the automatic choice for the Bafana goalkeeping slot leading up to the World Cup in 2010”.

In other national team news, national under twenty three team coach Steve Komphela has called upon the services of Kaizer Chiefs goalkeeper Itumeleng Khune, to be part of a 23 man squad that will be trimmed down to eighteen in the coming days.

As they prepare for a vital 2008 Olympic Qualifying game against Namibia to be played at Orlen Park in Potchefstroom on the 3rd September.

Khune who recently assisted the national under twenty team in progressing to the next round of qualifying for the African U-20 Youth Championships, with a 4-3 aggregate victory over the Zimbabwean u-20 team, is joined in the Amaglug Glug squad by Kaizer Chiefs youth team defender Lawrence Molekwane.

The Chiefs players called up to the Bafana Bafana team will report at their hotel in Sandton in Johannesburg after Chiefs opening PSL game against SuperSport United on Sunday evening, while those in the Olympic team will meet up with Steve Komphela before making their way to Potchefstroom in preparation for the Namibia game.