South Africa’s Under-23 men’s national team preparations for the 2028 Olympic Games qualifiers have gained momentum after head coach Raymond Mdaka announced his final squad for the crucial two-legged encounter against Madagascar next month.
Amaglug-glug will face the island nation in back-to-back qualifying matches as they seek to advance to the next round and keep their hopes of representing the country at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games alive.
The two encounters are scheduled for November 14 and 17, with both matches set to take place at Lucas Moripe Stadium in Atteridgeville, Pretoria.
The first leg is scheduled to kick off at 3pm, while the return fixture will take place at 8pm.
One of the notable inclusions in Mdaka’s final selection is Belgium-based winger Shandre Campbell, who has recently been involved with the senior Bafana Bafana squad.
Campbell’s inclusion adds valuable attacking options to a young South African side that will be determined to make the most of the opportunity to progress in the continental qualifying campaign.
The squad also features a blend of locally based youngsters and players gaining experience abroad, reflecting the coach’s intention to assemble a competitive team capable of negotiating the Madagascar challenge.
Mdaka’s charges will draw confidence from their recent international friendly matches against Algeria, where South Africa registered a 3-1 victory in the opening encounter before playing to a 1-1 draw in the second match.
The matches provided the technical team with an opportunity to assess the players, improve combinations and build team chemistry ahead of the more demanding competitive fixtures.
Assistant coach Karabo Mogudi previously expressed satisfaction with the team’s progress, saying the encounters against Algeria had helped prepare the young players for the physical demands of international football.
However, the Madagascar assignment presents a different challenge, with South Africa needing to deliver across both legs to advance to the next stage.
The qualifiers form part of the pathway towards the 2027 Under-23 Africa Cup of Nations, which will also serve as the continental qualifying tournament for the 2028 Olympic Games.
The top two teams at the tournament in Egypt will secure Africa’s places at the men’s football competition in Los Angeles.
South Africa’s immediate objective is to overcome Madagascar before turning their attention to the next stage of the qualifying campaign.
Should Amaglug-glug progress, they will face either Rwanda or Cameroon in the next round, scheduled for March 2027.
With the final squad now confirmed, attention shifts to the team’s preparations and the challenge of producing results when it matters most.
South African football supporters will be hoping Mdaka’s young charges can rise to the occasion and take another important step towards the Olympic Games.