Mamelodi Sundowns star Gaston Sirino might just be in the Bafana Bafana fold.
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Mamelodi Sundowns midfielder gaston Sirino for Bafana Bafana?
Uruguay-born Sirino has spent five years playing PSL football and is now eligible to represent Bafana after officially claiming a South African passport.
The 31-year-old hasn’t played international football before, so Bafana is very much an avenue open to him.
Hugo Broos must select squad for back-to-back 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Liberia in March, and Sirino is now an option. Broos usually goes for younger players but has made notable and recent exceptions, in the case of Themba Zwane.
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Rhulani digs Sirino, and isn’t surprised
“The 31-year-old completed five years in the country last month and thus making him eligible for Bafana with his club coach Rulani Mokwena stressing that the naturalisation of good players shouldn’t be of surprise to South Africans,” reported KickOff.
“At the recent World Cup, as many as 136 players represented countries other than the one where they were born and Sirino now qualifies for Bafana through naturalisation by residence.
“According to the Caf Champions League group stages registrations, Sirino is using a South African passport. His passport number starts with D4 and ends with 7 with his registration captured under the name Leandro Rodriguez Sirino.
“With that South African passport, Sirino can now play for Bafana if he agrees to the call-up.”
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Previously, South African-born but overseas-raised players such as Ricardo Nunes, Davide Somma and Dean Furman have played for Bafana. Furman, at one point, went on to captain the side. All the way back in 2006, Furman was on the books of Chelsea’s U18s.
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