South Africa appear to have jumped the gun on the return to the national team of FC Porto striker Benni McCarthy, whose much-anticipated recall has been delayed, the South African Football Association (SAFA) said on Saturday.
McCarthy, 26, announced his retirement from international football after a row last year and missed the African Nations Cup finals in Tunisia.
But he was named last week by new coach Stuart Baxter in a 22-man squad to assemble in England next week for a three day training camp in Surrey.
But SAFA admitted on Saturday they had yet to conclude negotiations with McCarthy to get him back into the side and, as a result, he would not be joining up with the training squad.
Baxter has met with McCarthy and FC Porto coach Jose Mourinho but the striker has yet to agree to end his self-imposed exile.
McCarthy is understood to be seeking an assurance that he will not be banned from playing for his club if he missed future internationals.
Under FIFA regulations, players who make themselves unavailable for international matches on officially designated dates can be stopped from playing in their next club match.
McCarthy, who has scored 22 goals in 51 international appearances, has had several previous disputes with the South African association in club versus country rows and also missed the 2000 African Nations Cup finals in Ghana and Nigeria.
Striker Siyabonga Nomvete has pulled out of the squad as has Russian-based left wing Dillon Sheppard.
They have been replaced by Danish-based winger Josta Dladla and the uncapped pair of Asanda Shishuba from Antwerp in Belgium and FC Copenhagen junior Elrio van Heerden.