McCarthy to play in friendly

Blackburn striker Benni McCarthy has agreed to play for South Africa in a friendly against Cameroon on Wednesday.

McCarthy is staying on in the country after attending the funeral of his father Dudley at the weekend.

He was given leave of abscence by manager Paul Ince to miss the match against Sunderland, which Blackburn lost 2-1.

South Africa team manager Sipho Nkumane told the SAPA news agency: “We allowed Benni to make his decision without any pressure.

“We understand what a loss he has suffered and would have fully understood if he decided not to play.

“But he has shown his commitment to Bafana and we are delighted. It is a huge boost for the squad.”