No Pienaar for Mwaruwari testimonial
Contrary to reports in both Zimbabwe and South Africa, Bafana Bafana skipper Steven Pienaar will not be travelling to Zimbabwe to take part in a testimonial match for Benjani Mwaruwari at the weekend.
Pienaar was invited to play in the game, which is scheduled to feature ex-Bafana players Aaron Mokoena, Lucas Radebe and Doctor Khumalo, but has turned down the request.
He is currently in camp with the senior national squad ahead of their 2014 Fifa World Cup qualifiers against Ethiopia (home, June 3) and Botswana (away, June 9) and will not be released to play.
“He is definitely not going to game in Zimbabwe,” a SAFA source said. “There has been some discussions around the release of players for the PSL Awards evening on Sunday night, but definitely no request for Pienaar to go to Harare. And I am quite sure permission would not have been granted had there been a request in any event.”
The match is a farewell from Mwaruwari to the Zimbabwean national side after he formally quit international football this year having last played for The Warriors in November 2010. He will play for the national team against a host of Africa’s top players in his testimonial.
Also likely to be in attendance will be Zambian star Chris Katongo, who recently led his national side to the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations title, as well as retired legends, Nigeria’s Jay Jay Okocha and Daniel Amokachi, Cameroon’s Rigobert Song and ex-Zimbabwe goalkeeper Bruce Grobbelaar.
