South Africa coach Stuart Baxter named a youth Bafana Bafana squad for their upcoming assignment in a four-nation tournament in Zambia; partly by design and partly because a number of more experienced options are in limbo in their careers.
It will be a worry for the national team coach that a number of the country's international players are inactive, either forced onto the sidelines by their clubs or having walked out on their teams.
KweséESPN looks at four players who could add value to the national team ... if they were actually playing.
KERMIT ERASMUS
Erasmus reached a mutual termination agreement with French Ligue 1 side Stade Rennes just after the January transfer window closed.
The fact that it was done in February means that although Erasmus is a free agent, he cannot join clubs with the same transfer windows as France (which is most leagues in Europe and the South African Premier Soccer League) until July. And so the 27-year-old sees his talent wasted on the sidelines, with his options now limited to the likes of Sweden, Norway and the USA.
Erasmus' career has been on the skids since he moved to France in January 2016. He has made just nine league starts in two years and now finds himself without a club altogether at an age when he should be reaching his prime.
TOKELO RANTIE
Rantie told Turkish side Gençlerbirliği that he had to return to South Africa to attend to a sick grandmother last October, but never returned to the club.
The Bafana Bafana striker had been unhappy at the team after being used sparingly, but ironically seemed to be winning more favour after a number of fine performances in the lead-up to his disappearing act.
His contract has since been terminated and he faces being hauled before FIFA to return signing-on fees. He has since gone to ground and not even his close representatives appear to know his whereabouts or his next move.
Rantie had been tipped to return to Sweden, where he enjoyed the best spell of his career in Malmo, but it seems no teams there will touch him.
MANDLA MASANGO
Masango remains in limbo at Danish side Randers, having not played for the club in over 18 months.
He seems to have been around forever, but is in fact just 28, an age where he should be reaching his prime, but bar a semi-successful six-month loan spell at SuperSport United last season, has been inactive since July 2016.
It all started well for him in Denmark following a move from Kaizer Chiefs in July 2015 and he was a revelation in his first season in Europe. His trouble started when he tried to force a move away from the club, looking for a bigger contract elsewhere and refusing to train with the team.
The club called his bluff and he has been inactive since; his move backfiring spectacularly as he misses out on income and has a career that will take some rebuilding.
His contract is up at the end of the season so he will be a free agent able to move on, but how he will regret what by then will be two 'lost' years.
LARS VELDWIJK
The Bafana striker won't play again for Groningen this season after allegedly refusing to come on as a substitute in a game and being sent to train with the reserves.
Veldwijk is a proven goalscorer in the Dutch league, first with PEC Zwolle and then Groningen, but he was unhappy at the lacking of starts this campaign and had fallen out with coach Ernest Faber. Veldwijk denies the accusations levelled at him, but the club are sticking tot heir stance and the 26-year-old now has a dented reputation to rebuild.
It is a pity for Bafana as well, he is a targetman style striker that they are missing, a player the likes of Percy Tau, Themba Zwane and Sibusiso Vilakazi can play off. The fact that he has also played for five clubs in the last two years tells its own story.