South Africa Under-23 coach Raymond Mdaka is refusing to view Wednesday night’s 1-0 defeat to Algeria simply as a preparatory exercise, insisting that the international friendly provided his team with an important test as they begin their next chapter.
Amaglug-glug went down by a solitary goal to the North Africans at the Dr Petrus Molemela Stadium in Bloemfontein on Wednesday night in the first of two international friendlies between the countries.
The second encounter is scheduled for Saturday, October 3, giving Mdaka an immediate opportunity to see how his young charges respond to the defeat. “This match presented an opportunity to those who are here to show what they can do at this level as you know that the bulk of the team is from the U-20 squad. We have done some work over the last few days, and it is slowly coming together, which makes this match all the more important to see where we are going in moving forward,” said Mdaka.
The two matches are part of South Africa’s preparations for the next U-23 continental cycle and the qualification campaign for the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
But Mdaka does not want the defeat dismissed simply as the result of a coach experimenting with his squad.
Instead, Mdaka who is also Amajita mentor will be looking for improvements when the two sides meet again on Saturday.
The Algeria fixtures also represent the beginning of a new U23 cycle for South Africa, with Mdaka moving into the age-group team immediately after guiding Amajita to another COSAFA U-20 Championship triumph in Mozambique.
Only days before taking charge of Amaglug-glug, Mdaka led the Under-20 national team to a 2-1 victory over Mozambique in the COSAFA final, securing South Africa’s third consecutive regional title and qualification for next year’s U20 Africa Cup of Nations in Ghana.
Now his attention has switched to a different challenge.
A long road back
South Africa’s U23 team has not played at the Africa Cup of Nations since the 2019 tournament in Egypt.
The country’s most recent competitive U-23 campaign ended in March 2023, when Amaglug-glug were eliminated by Congo-Brazzaville in the final round of qualification for the 2023 AFCON.
South Africa drew 1-1 at home before being held to a goalless draw in Brazzaville. Congo progressed on the away-goals rule, leaving South Africa out of the continental tournament and, at the same time, ending their hopes of qualifying for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. The 2023 failure followed South Africa’s absence from the 2023 U23 AFCON proper, while the team had previously finished third at the 2019 edition in Egypt.
Overall, South Africa have made three Olympic appearances, winning one, drawing two and losing six of their nine matches.
Their next opportunity will be the qualification campaign for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.
On a continental competition, South Africa’s U-23 side have appeared at the Africa Cup of Nations three times.
They made their first appearance in 2011, finishing in the group stage after two draws and a defeat.
The team improved to a third-place finish at the 2015 AFCON in Senegal, before repeating that achievement at the 2019 tournament in Egypt.
The 2019 bronze-medal finish also secured South Africa a place at the Tokyo Olympics.
The Algeria double-header therefore comes at an important point for a new generation of players who will be expected to carry South Africa’s Olympic ambitions into the next cycle.
Mdaka’s appointment also brings an interesting element to the project because he is working with many players who are moving through the national junior structures.
The objective is to build a side capable of competing for qualification to the U23 AFCON while simultaneously pursuing a place at Los Angeles 2028.
The Algeria matches provide the first opportunity to assess that group against opposition from outside the southern African region.
For Amaglug-glug, the importance of the second match goes beyond correcting the scoreline.
It is the beginning of a new Olympic cycle — and one in which South Africa will be hoping to return to both the U23 continental stage and the Olympic Games after missing the previous editions.