The 29-year-old Tottenham Hotspur footballer, Steven Pienaar, injured his knee in a training collision with fellow midfielder Happy Jele just a few days after recovering from a groin strain.

Coach Pitso Mosimane is pessimistic: "It does not look good for Steven, but I will wait until the last minute before making a decision. Siphiwe Tshabalala is standing by to take over as captain."

South Africa lead Group G with seven points at the halfway stage of the six-round qualifying competition followed by Niger (six), Sierra Leone (two) and Egypt (one) with only the winners guaranteed a place at the finals.