Radiopane & Sifama Called Up To COSAFA Squad

Orlando Pirates starlet Boitumelo Radiopane and Kaizer Chiefs’ youngster Keletso Sifama are among the exciting names in South Africa’s preliminary COSAFA Cup squad.

South African national U23 head coach David Notoane is starting a new chapter with the Olympic Team, as he aims to qualify the country for its fourth Olympics in men’s football. 

With Bafana Bafana head coach Hugo Broos not part of the team to take part in the COSAFA Cup and CHAN qualifiers, Notoane will be using his U23 team in the COSAFA Cup that is scheduled for Durban from 04 until 17 July. SAFA announced that they will be selecting the CHAN squad from players at next week’s ABC Motsepe playoffs. 

Bafana are the defending champions in this year’s COSAFA Cup, after they beat tournament guests from West Africa, Senegal, last year in Gqeberha. 

In the preliminary squad of 32 players that iDiski Times has seen, Notoane has called up some interesting names, including Bafana Bafana defender Athenkosi Mcaba, who made the trip to France to play against the World Champions and Guinea in international friendlies earlier this year. 

The Stellenbosch defender, who was also in contention for the DStv Premiership Young Player of the Season, will have a strong line-up next to him of Kegan Johannes of SuperSport United, who is also not a stranger to this team, having played in the AFCON U23 tournament in Egypt, where Notoane’s team qualified for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. 

The goalkeeping department is made up of players who play in the GladAfrica Championship like Lincoln Vyver of Cape Town Spurs and DDC goalkeepers like Bontle Molefe of Kaizer Chiefs, Smandla Mzimela of AmaZulu and Lebohang Nthene from the champions Stellenbosch FC. 

In midfield, Notoane called up some more familiar names, such as Bafana and TS Galaxy star midfielder Ethan Brooks, Maritzburg United’s Rowan Human, Spurs’ Chumani Butsaka. 

The attack is led by the DDC Player of the Season and top goal scorer with 24 goals, Radiopane and his soon to be teammate Azola Matrose from Chippa United, which Chiefs’ Sifama and Antonio Van Wyk of Stellenbosch FC are also part of the very promising attack.

It’s still not clear who will form part of Notoane’s technical team, but he will have to submit a final 20-man squad to COSAFA that he will be taking to the tournament. The draw for this year’s COSAFA Cup is expected to take place in Durban on 14 June. 

*Story from the iDiski Times newspaper.

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