Johannesburg - It would appear that Tsepo Masilela just does not want to play for Bafana Bafana anymore.
Why else would the Kaizer Chiefs left-back continue not to honour call-ups to the national team?
Arguably one of the best left-backs in the country and probably the most experienced of the lot, Masilela is the kind of player Shakes Mashaba needs if South Africa are to get back to being among the continent’s best.
A seasoned international, who has Africa Cup of Nations and World Cup caps to his name, as well as having spent numerous seasons in Europe where he turned out in the competitive Spanish La Liga, the Amakhosi defender is streets ahead of the likes of Patrick Phungwayo and Thabo Matlaba in the experience stakes.
And it was for this reason as well as his sterling performances for Chiefs last season that many lamented his absence from the squad.
Back in January, Mashaba called him up – albeit it as a replacement after Phungwayo had broken down.
Masilela did not honour that call-up, which would have seen him go to yet another continental showpiece, as his club declared him unfit.
Fast forward to August and Mashaba surprised most when he included him in his squad for the Afcon qualifier at Mauritania this weekend.
The day before the squad announcement, Masilela had spoken to journalists about his surprise at his being continuously overlooked by the national team coach for selection and declared he has not retired from the international game.
But alas, the defender has failed to go to camp this week – with his team informing the national side that he has a knee injury.
Really? When did he sustain it?
For just on Saturday Masilela was at his rampant best as he helped Chiefs to a 1-0 win over Bloemfontein Celtic in the second leg of an MTN8 semi-final tie.
Bafana were expecting him to come to camp so they could test him themselves to see if he truly was injured. But indications were that they would wait in vain, with murmurings abounding that the player was actually not in the country but had travelled to America to see his partner and child.
Whether that was true or not is not the issue here.
The truth of the matter is that it is clear that Masilela is not keen to play for Bafana anymore and the sooner Mashaba acknowledges this and stops calling him up the better.
As good a player as he might be, he is no Leo Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo that he can hold the national team to ransom. And he shouldn’t be allowed to.
The Star