South Africa captain and Everton midfielder Steven Pienaar has quit international football because his "body is tired", the national football association has said Pienaar, who succeeded Aaron Mokoena as skipper after the 2010 World Cup and had limited success in the role, revealed his decision in a letter to the body, which was read out ahead of a national squad announcement.
The slightly built 30-year-old ,the only South African footballer featuring regularly in a major European league said he could no longer cope with the physical demands of playing for his club and country. "I am very disappointed as Steven was set to play a huge role going forward," recently appointed South Africa coach Gordon Igesund told a Johannesburg media conference. "Steven says his body is tired and we must respect that decision -- he has contributed a lot to the national team over the past 10 years and we will miss him."
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