Mdaka Officially Names U23 Squad,See Details

South Africa Under-23 head coach Raymond Mdaka has announced his final squad for the upcoming Olympic Games qualifying encounters against Madagascar, with Orlando Pirates emerging as one of the biggest contributors to the national team selection.

The announcement has attracted attention among South African football supporters, particularly because several exciting young talents from the country’s biggest clubs have been handed an opportunity to represent Amaglug-glug in an important international assignment.

Mdaka has selected a 24-man squad as South Africa continue their preparations for the two-legged qualifying contest, which forms part of the country’s journey towards the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games.

The two encounters are scheduled for November, with both matches set to take place at Lucas Moripe Stadium in Atteridgeville. South Africa will face Madagascar on 14 November before meeting the same opponents again on 17 November.

Orlando Pirates’ strong representation is particularly interesting, considering the club’s continued investment in developing young footballers capable of progressing into senior professional football.

The Buccaneers have several promising prospects in the selected group, including goalkeeper Kgoleng Ratisani, midfielders Camren Dansin and Simphiwe Selepe, and forward Mpho Padime.

Their inclusion demonstrates the growing importance of Pirates’ development structures in producing players who can compete at international level.

One of the biggest talking points is the inclusion of Shandre Campbell, who recently featured in the senior Bafana Bafana setup. The Belgium-based attacker has been rewarded for his progress after making an impression during his involvement with the national team.

Campbell recently provided the assist for Puso Dithejane’s winning goal in South Africa’s 1-0 friendly victory over Egypt, further strengthening his reputation as one of the country’s exciting young attacking prospects.

The final selection also includes promising players from Kaizer Chiefs and Mamelodi Sundowns. Mfundo Vilakazi, alongside other emerging talents, will be looking to use this opportunity to demonstrate their abilities on the international stage.

Mdaka’s selection reflects his intention to build a competitive team using the country’s emerging talent, including players who have gained valuable experience in domestic and overseas football.

The Madagascar encounters carry enormous importance because they form part of the qualification pathway towards the 2027 CAF Under-23 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt, which will serve as the African qualifying tournament for the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.

South Africa will need to navigate the qualifying rounds successfully before securing an opportunity to compete for an Olympic place.

Mdaka will therefore expect his players to approach both encounters with discipline, determination and tactical maturity.

The coach has previously demonstrated his ability to develop young footballers, having guided South Africa to the 2026 COSAFA Under-20 Championship title. He will now hope to transfer that winning mentality to the Under-23 setup.

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