The controversy over Benni McCarthy's still unexplained absence from South Africa's World Cup qualifying match last Sunday continued to grow on Tuesday.
The two questions concerning the soccer star were: Did he know he was needed by Bafana? Was he too seriously injured to play?
McCarthy was at the centre of speculation last week ahead of Bafana's match in Blantyre against Malawi, won 2-1 by the South Africans.
In the build-up to the match there had been reports that the Spanish-based striker was injured, but Bafana coach Carlos Queiroz was sceptical.
Compounding the problem was the club and country issue, which has led to greater scrutiny of South Africa's Europe-based players.
A further complication was McCarthy's interview on national television where he said he had not been informed of last Sunday's match, something which the South African Football Association is now investigating.
When it became clear last week that McCarthy would not arrive in time to join the Bafana squad - whether because of injury or ignorance - the South African FA acted to prevent the striker from playing for his club, Celta Vigo, in a Uefa Cup match against Vfb Stuttgart last Thursday.
The chief executive of Safa, Danny Jordaan, said the association's executive would meet soon to decide what action, if any, to take against McCarthy.
Bafana manager Zola Dunywa said he wrote to Celta Vigo informing the club that McCarthy would be needed for the Malawi match.
Dunywa received a reply from the managing director of Celta Vigo, Alfredo Rodriquez Millares, confirming receipt of the letter, dated February 6.
"We are pleased to inform you that Benedict McCarthy has been selected to represent South Africa in the World Cup qualifying match against Malawi in Blantyre on February 25," reads a part of the letter written to Vigo by Dunywa.
"Please accept our request in accordance with article 38 of the Fifa statutes of transfer of players, to have the above-mentioned player released to join our national squad not later than February 20 and we shall endeavour to return the player not later than February 26.
"Should there be a need to cancel this call-up, please accept our assurance that such cancellation will be communicated to you in writing at the earliest available opportunity."
Millares agreed to release McCarthy, adding that he would also include a medical report on the player's physical condition because the player had been troubled by a pulled hamstring, but that he had overcome the injury and was ready to resume playing.
There is, of course, a possibility that Millares, did not inform McCarthy that he was needed for the game against Malawi, but that is being discounted.
"The procedure is for us to inform a player's club well in advance," said Jordaan. "And the association then makes provision for the player to collect his ticket at an agreed point of departure.
"But if nobody informed McCarthy that he would be needed for the Malawi game, why did he say (on TV) that he was injured?" asked Jordaan.
It has been alleged in South Africa that McCarthy was scheduled to play for Celta Vigo against Vfb Stuttgart in the Uefa Cup second-leg match last Thursday but was withdrawn after Safa had lodged a complaint.
According to reports, McCarthy had recovered from his hamstring injury a week before the game against Malawi. He was reported to being at the Celta Vigo training on the Saturday, a week before Bafana Bafana's World Cup qualifier against Malawi.
If so, how could McCarthy have claimed he was injured in that week? And why would Celta Vigo have appealed to Safa to allow the striker to play last Thursday and again in a Spanish league match on Sunday where they drew 2-2 with Alves?