BLACKBURN Rovers striker Benni McCarthy admits his hopes of playing in next year’s World Cup could be over - and he fears he may never play for South Africa again.

McCarthy had been looking forward to representing South Africa when they hosted the World Cup next summer but he was controversially left out of the squad for the Confederations Cup after a row over his withdrawal from a recent international because of injury.

McCarthy is now afraid his international career could be over and admits that fact is even more painful because of the forthcoming World Cup.

“That is even worse for me, because I had a lot of desire to play with the national team in my home country in the first World Cup in Africa,” he said.

“Throughout my career I have had various clashes with organisations and now perhaps this is my final goodbye to the national team.”