7 months ago
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Amajita mentor Raymond Mdaka already knows he won't get some of the players he included in his final squad for the Cosafa U-20 Championship, which also serves as an Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) qualifier, as this tournament falls outside the Fifa calendar.
Though Mdaka didn't name the players he fears might not travel to Mozambique for the Cosafa tournament, Kaizer Chiefs' Mfundo Vilakazi and Asekho Tiwani of Mamelodi Sundowns and Amajita captain, are among the players whose clubs may not release.
“It's very challenging, honestly. The fact that this tournament is not in the Fifa calendar, makes it a little bit difficult to get all the players. I know that there are players that we won't get at all but I won't mention names...it might be more than three or four,” Mdaka told Sowetan yesterday.
“We will have to go on with what we have as depth in the sqya=but it's a bit frustrating that we won't be getting others.”
The Cosafa U-20 Championship will be played in Maputo's Mozambique from next Wednesday and concludes on October 5. SA are in Group C, alongside Malawi and Lesotho, opening against the former on September 27, before facing the latter two days later. The two finalists will qualify for the U-20 Afcon, to be hosted in a yet-to-be-confirmed country, early next year.
Former SuperSport United starlet Shandre Campbell and Portuguese-based goalkeeper Fletcher Smythe-Lowe, who's on the books of topflight side Estoril Praia, are the only two foreign-based players in the squad. Mdaka explained why they only have two foreign-based players in the squad.
“We have a lot of players that we wanted to have from outside [foreign-based]. We would have loved to have six, seven of them but logistical challenges force us to have only two. Some administrative challenges didn't allow us to have some players. Many leagues abroad are starting and others [players] don't have documents to travel,” Mdaka said.
Amajita have been drawn in Group C with Lesotho, Comoros and Malawi, who they face in their first match of the tournament on September 27.
SA U20 squad
Keepers: Smythe-Lowe, Takalani Mazhamba, Kgoleng Ratisani.
Defenders: Mbekezele Mbokazi, Tylon Smith, Gopolang Taunyana, Asekho Tiwani, Sifiso Timba.
Midfielders: Gomolemo Kekana, Ofentse Kgosana, Mfundo Vilakazi, Siyabonga Mabena, Lazola Maku, Shakeel April, Lefa Autata, Campbell, Xhosa Manyama, Emile Witbooi.
Striker: Kutlwano Letlhaku, Thabang Mahlangu.
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