South Africa’s Under-23 men’s national team preparations for the 2028 Olympic Games qualifiers have gained momentum following the announcement of the final squad by head coach Raymond Mdaka.
Amaglug-glug will face Madagascar in a crucial two-legged qualifying encounter as they seek to advance to the next stage of the campaign and keep their hopes of representing the country at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games alive.
With the technical team having settled on the players expected to carry the country’s hopes, the focus now shifts to final preparations, team cohesion and ensuring that the players are physically and mentally ready for the challenge ahead.
The two matches will take place at Lucas Moripe Stadium in Atteridgeville, Pretoria, on November 14 and 17.
The first leg, in which Madagascar will be the designated home team, is scheduled to kick off at 3pm, while the return leg will be played at 8pm.
The decision to stage both encounters in South Africa follows Madagascar’s inability to provide suitable venues for the competition.
Mdaka’s charges will draw confidence from their recent international friendly matches against Algeria, in which South Africa recorded a 3-1 victory in the opening encounter before settling for a 1-1 draw in the second match at the Dr Petrus Molemela Stadium in Bloemfontein.
The matches provided the technical team with an opportunity to assess the players, improve combinations and build cohesion ahead of the more demanding qualifying fixtures.
The Madagascar assignment, however, presents a different challenge, with South Africa needing consistent performances across both legs to secure progression.
The qualifiers form part of the pathway towards the 2027 CAF Under-23 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt, which will also serve as the continental qualifying competition for the 2028 Olympic Games.
The overall winners of the tie will advance to face either Rwanda or Cameroon in the next qualifying round scheduled for March 2027.
The top two teams at the Africa Cup of Nations will represent Africa at the men’s football tournament at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.
With the final squad confirmed, Amaglug-glug will be looking to make the most of their preparations and deliver performances capable of taking them a step closer to their Olympic dream.