The SA U23 squad assembled for camp this week and coach Raymond Mdaka is spoilt for choice. He is faced with a stack of talented players to select from as they set their sights on the 2028 LA Olympic Games in the US.
This is arguably one of the best U23 squads South Africa has produced because most of the players are at big clubs and playing first-team football.
Kaizer Chiefs trio Mfundo Vilakazi, Luke Baartman, and Faiz Abraham; Orlando Pirates duo Mpho Padime and Neo Rapoo; Cape Town City’s Gabriel Amato in the NFD; and European-based goalkeeper Fletcher Smythe-Lowe, among others, are expected to play a huge role in helping the team qualify for the Olympics.
There are players, among them Bennet Mokoena, Gomolemo Kekana and Thato Sibiya, who are not in camp but are eligible to play for the U23s.
“People always say it’s a very good headache but it’s one of the difficult challenges that they’re facing because there’s no way you can do what we call a squad composition and balance it,” Mdaka told Sunday World before the fixtures.
“You’ll find that in one area you have more than four players but you cannot take the four players in one position on the basis that you want to balance the team.
“So, we go deep into profiling, say, who can do best in that spot and in relation to how we want to play.
“It’s a very good and very bad, difficult headache to have, but we believe we have selected a team strong enough to withstand the rigours of this competition, as it is going to be a very long road to 2028.
“These two games will give us an indication of what we need going forward,” he added.
Mdaka has started preparations and is looking to build a formidable team for the LA Olympics.
The SA U23s will be facing Algeria in their second friendly match in Bloemfontein at the Dr Petrus Molemela Stadium this afternoon, after their convincing 3-1 win on Thursday.
There are only two spots reserved for African teams, with the finalists at the eight-team U23 Afcon next year in Egypt set to advance to the Olympics. Mdaka will be confident of being in the mix, especially with the abundance of quality to pick from.
- The South Africa U23 squad has assembled for camp as they prepare for the 2028 LA Olympic Games, with coach Raymond Mdaka having a strong pool of players to choose from.
- Key players expected to contribute include Kaizer Chiefs’ Mfundo Vilakazi, Luke Baartman, Faiz Abraham; Orlando Pirates’ Mpho Padime, Neo Rapoo; Cape Town City’s Gabriel Amato, and European-based goalkeeper Fletcher Smythe-Lowe.
- Some eligible players like Bennet Mokoena, Gomolemo Kekana, and Thato Sibiya are not in the current camp.
- The SA U23 team will play a friendly match against Algeria at the Dr Petrus Molemela Stadium in Bloemfontein after their 3-1 win in the previous game.
- Only two African teams will qualify for the 2028 Olympics through the U23 Afcon in Egypt next year, with the finalists earning Olympic spots.
