Football
Reuters 18y

Soccer-Vonk's international career at an end, says coach

JOHANNESBURG, Nov 2 - Veteran goalkeeper Hans Vonk
is likely to play his last game when South Africa host Senegal
in a friendly in Port Elizabeth on Nov. 13, coach Stuart Baxter
said on Wednesday.

The 35-year-old Ajax Amsterdam goalkeeper had already said
it was his last season with the national side and South Africa's
failure to qualify for the World Cup finals in Germany has
hastened his retirement.

Baxter said it was also likely that other players might drop
out of the international scene ahead of January's African
Nations Cup finals where South Africa will start building a new
side before the 2010 World Cup finals which they are hosting.

Baxter named Vonk in a 19-man squad but left out Borussia
Dortmund winger Delron Buckley, who he said was struggling to
find form at his new Bundesliga club.

Vonk has won 42 caps and played at the 1998 World Cup finals
for South Africa. Baxter had also hoped to give a farewell match
to Charlton Athletic striker Shaun Bartlett but he is injured.

Squad:

Goalkeepers: Rowen Fernandez (Kaizer Chiefs), Hans Vonk
(Ajax Amsterdam, Netherlands)

Defenders: Bradley Carnell (Karlsruhe, Germany), Ricardo
Katza (SuperSport United), Aaron Mokoena (Blackburn Rovers,
England), Nasief Morris (Panathinaikos, Greece), Cyril Nzama
(Kaizer Chiefs), Dillon Sheppard (Panianios, Greece), Jimmy Tau
(Kaizer Chiefs)

Midfielders: Phil Evans (SuperSport United), Jeffrey Ntuka
(Westerlo, Belgium), Alfred Phiri (Moroka Swallows), Steven
Pienaar (Ajax Amsterdam, Netherlands), Elrio van Heerden (FC
Copenhagen, Denmark), Benedict Vilakazi (Orlando Pirates),
Sibusiso Zuma (Arminia Bielefeld, Germany)

Forwards: Benni McCarthy (FC Porto, Portugal), Lebohang
Mokoena (Orlando Pirates), Siyabonga Nomvete (Djurgardens,
Sweden).

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