Crowie Announces Final SA U17 AFCON Squad

South Africa U17 head coach Duncan Crowie has announced the final squad heading to the U17 Africa Cup of Nations in Algeria.

While the Siyabonga Mabena saga between the South African Football Association (SAFA) and Mamelodi Sundowns was a burning topic, the 16-year-old sensation reported for camp this week and has been included amongst the list.

His nine goals en route to winning the U17 COSAFA Cup Player of the Tournament and qualifying South Africa for the continental showpiece have seen him turn heads around the country and since breaking through in the Sundowns first-team, there’s real optimism surrounding his future.

The crop of players includes several overseas-based players but the likes of Arron Rydell (Nordsjaelland), Lucas Jetten (AFC Ajax), and Thuto Mojanang (Feyenoord), who were named in the preliminary squad, were unable to honour the call-ups for the training camp and eventually omitted from the final squad.

SuperSport United defender Benjamin Wallace, who was recently in England for an assessment with Lincoln City and Fulham, will lead the team as captain and he will likely form the centre-back pairing in Algeria together with Waylon Renecke from Norwich City.

Promising Vitesse playmaker Michael Dokumnu, who is eligible to represent the Netherlands and Nigeria – as well as Atlanta United goalkeeper Kyle Jansen also made the cut.

South Africa are in Group B alongside Morocco, Nigeria and Zambia for the tournament that runs between 29 April and 19 May.

South Africa U17 squad in full: