WARRIORS captain and Manchester City striker Benjani Mwaruwari has been ruled out of the high profile international friendly between Zimbabwe and South Africa's Bafana Bafana set for Durban at the end of the month.

The game, which South Africa will be using as part of their World Cup preparations, is pencilled in for the night of January 27.

Zifa had been asked to send their strongest team, complete with foreign-based players, as the South Africans intend to use the match to gauge their strength ahead of June’s Fifa World Cup finals which the country is hosting.

But ZIFA C.E.O Henrietta Rushwaya told NewZimbabwe.com on Thursday that although they would call up foreign based players for the tie Benjani would not be part of the squad to play South Africa.

"We are restricting the game to just South Africa-based players because we will have problems trying to call-up Benjani since the match is not on the Fifa calendar but with those in South Africa it will be possible.

“We are already writing to the South African clubs seeking the release of players because we need a full strength squad for the match," Rushwaya said.

Warriors coach Sunday Chidzambwa is expected to call up players like Mamelodi Sundowns skipper, Esrom Nyandoro as well as the Kaizer Chiefs quartet of Zhaimu Jambo, Thomas Sweswe, Knowledge Musona and Tinashe Nengomasha.

South Africa and Zimbabwe have met in the last two years in African Nations Championship qualifiers and the Cosafa Senior Challenge Cup, with both teams fielding second string sides.

The two countries have basically stuck to developmental squads in recent years with South Africa at times picking fringe players who ply their trade in the country’s Division One League.

However, this time Bafana Bafana will be fielding their strongest squad as they step-up preparations for the World Cup tournament.

The global soccer showcase bursts into life at the Soccer City Stadium in Johannesburg on June 11 when Bafana Bafana face Mexico in a Group A match.