STRIKER Tokelo Rantie could miss up to four games for Cherries following South Africa’s qualification for the finals of the Africa Cup of Nations.

Rantie netted in their 2-1 victory over Sudan yesterday as Bafana Bafana booked a ticket to next year’s finals, which will take place in Equatorial Guinea.

The 24-year-old’s finely-taken effort added to Thulani Serero’s first-half opener in a match which had been switched to Durban, the home town of goalkeeper and captain Senzo Meyiwa, who was shot dead in a suspected robbery last month.

Victory saw South Africa secure top spot in Group A ahead of their final qualifier against second-placed Nigeria in Uyo on Wednesday.

It also brought to an end a run that had seen South Africa fail to qualify by right for a tournament since 2008, having hosted the Africa Cup of Nations last year and the World Cup in 2010.

Equatorial Guinea, chosen to replace Morocco as the hosts after they were kicked out of the competition for insisting it should be postponed over fears of a spread of the Ebola virus, will stage the finals between January 17 and February 8.

And if selected, Rantie would be unavailable for Cherries’ trips to Rotherham and Leeds (or the fourth round of the FA Cup) and could also miss the visit of Watford on January 31 and a trip to Wigan which takes place a week later, the day before the AFCON final. The draw for the finals will be held on December 3.

Meanwhile, Cherries goalkeeper Benji Buchel was also successful on international duty yesterday, the 25-year-old helping Liechtenstein chalk up a 1-0 win against Moldova.

Buchel celebrated his eighth cap – which have been spread over six years – by keeping a clean sheet in the European Championship qualifier in Chisinau, Liechtenstein’s first win in Group G.

Baily Cargill, who marked his England debut by scoring for the under-20s in their 2-2 draw with Canada on Wednesday, will again be hoping to feature when the Three Lions face Portugal in Coimbra tomorrow afternoon.

Callum Wilson, an unused sub in England under-21s’ 3-1 win over Portugal on Thursday, will be hoping to make his debut when they meet France in a friendly in Brest tomorrow night.

And winger Ryan Fraser should start when Scotland under-21s meet Switzerland on Tuesday.