South Africa coach Gordon Igesund has given up on hopes of convincing Norwich City midfielder Andrew Surman to be a part of his squad for next year's Africa Cup of Nations.
The 26-year-old Surman was born in Johannesburg, which would qualify him for Bofana Bofana. However, football with South Africa has reportedly been a tough sell to Surman in the past and spending time at the Canaries and with his family is believed to have led to him turning them down again.
The Cup of Nations would likely keep Surman out of City contention for at least a month, with the tournament kicking off on January 19.
'I believe he didn't show us the interest and passion we had expected to play for Bafana Bafana – we got the feeling that he is not ready to commit to us so we will not be pursuing that mission anymore,' said head coach Igesund after a trip to Britain to liaise with clubs and players over potential squad members.
South Africa began a training camp yesterday ahead of Wednesday's friendly with Nations Cup champions Zambia.
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