Even though the SA Under-17 and Under-20 will be playing in the youth FIFA World Cup tournaments later this year, the search for the next generation of players has started in earnest.
Coached by Vela Khumalo, Amajimbos, the SA Under-17s, have qualified for the FIFA World Cup which be held in Qatar in November. They achieved this after they finished second in their group at the Under-17 Africa Cup of Nations in April. The Under-17 players will later graduate to Amajita and hopefully become Bafana Bafana stars.
Amajita have also booked their spot and will also travel to Chile for the Under-20 World Cup. This is after they rewrote history books and won this year’s edition of the Afcon.
Coach impressed
Coach and Bafana Bafana legend David Nyathi was highly impressed with the discipline exhibited by the 40 young players who attended the SA Under-17 selection camp at the Safa Technical Centre in the south of Johannesburg this week.
The primary mission of the Under-17 selection camp was to identify and nurture young footballers born between 2009 and 2010. To prepare them to represent South Africa in the 2026 international competitions according to the FIFA squad cycle.
“You are always looking for players to embrace each other, even though they come from different teams. To show respect to each other, and to come on time when we have team events and meetings,” said Nyathi, who was known as “Going Up” during his days as a marauding left-back.
“They come on time, the dress code is looking proper, and on the field, there is fair play. You don’t see violent conduct on the field. You see the players in a manner that shows that they are not intentionally trying to hurt each other,” Nyathi added.
Best motivation
“Every stage, you learn something that might help you accelerate your development. So these are moments where some are privileged to have a national team camp. They have got the best facilities, the best experts around them, and the best training environments. This changes your life completely and gives you a different perspective. And it might give you motivation to proceed.”
Beyond fostering skills development, the selection camp reinforced national unity and identity. A strong youth system produces future stars who elevate South Africa’s presence and prestige in international football.
Nyathi also commended the tutor with the exams and studies for creating an environment for the players to study. The tutor allocated time to do the exams with the players. And also to ensure that they have a very good environment for them to study and write their exams.
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