Nine days to go until South Africa kick off the World Cup against Mexico and on deadline day, they release their final 23 man squad.

The not really big surprise but the headline that you will read most about today is that Benni McCarthy hasn't made the cut but not even the player can have really thought he was going to.

McCarthy has had fitter spells in his career and at 32 years old and having spent many years plying his trade in Europe, he has let things slide and he was never really going to get the nod over the likes of Surprise Moriri, Katlego Mphela, Siyabonga Nomvethe and Bernard Parker who all did make the squad.

The majority of the squad are based in South African but there are a few European based players to add a bit of balance and continental flair. South Africa are a long way from the final or even getting past the group stages, but this will be their best chance for a very long time.

World Cup 2010 squad for South Africa

Goalkeepers

Itumeleng Khune (Kaizer Chiefs), Moeneeb Josephs (Orlando Pirates), Shu-Aib Walters (Maritzburg United)

Defenders

Matthew Booth (Mamelodi Sundowns), Lance Davids (Ajax Cape Town), Siboniso Gaxa (Mamelodi Sundowns), Bongani Khumalo (SuperSport United), Tsepo Masilela (Maccabi Haifa, Israel) Innocent Mdledle (Mamelodi Sundowns), Aaron Mokoena (Portsmouth, England), Anele Ngcongca (Genk, Belgium) Siyabonga Sangweni (Golden Arrows), Lucas Thwala (Orlando Pirates)

Midfielders

Kagisho Dikgacoi (Fulham, England), Thanduyise Khuboni (Golden Arrows), Reneilwe Letsholonyane (Kaizer Chiefs), Teko Modise (Orlando Pirates), Steven Pienaar (Everton, England) MacBeth Sibaya (Rubin Kazan, Russia) Siphiwe Tshabalala (Kaizer Chiefs)

Strikers

Surprise Moriri (Mamelodi Sundowns), Katlego Mphela (Mamelodi Sundowns), Siyabonga Nomvethe (Moroka Swallows), Bernard Parker (FC Twente, Netherlands)