Benni McCarthy has been left out of South Africa's 23-man squad for the FIFA World Cup finals after the selection was finalised on Tuesday morning.
The West Ham United striker had struggled to prove his fitness in time for the host nation. He remained on the bench for the 5-0 defeat of Guatemala at the Peter Mokaba Stadium in Polokwane on Monday night, although he did get a second-half appearance in the 2-1 defeat of Colombia on the previous Thursday.
Injury problems since his arrival at West Ham United in February meant McCarthy made just two Barclays Premier League starts and three substitute appearances in four months. He was still expected to make the World Cup, especially with the experience of 32 goals in 78 caps since his debut in June 1997. He also played at the 1998 and 2002 finals.