SA Under-20 head coach Raymond Mdaka has shed light on why overseas-based players are not included in the Amajita camp.
Mdaka selected a 41-member squad [local players only] for the SA U20 men’s national team a week ago for their yearly programme that started this month.
The camp began on Thursday, 21 March, and will end on Thursday, 28 March 2024. It is taking place at the SAFA Technical Centre in Johannesburg, Gauteng.
This camp is part of the preparations for the 2025 AFCON qualifiers in September 2024, with SAFA confirming that this gathering will be the first of many to come.
RAYMOND MDAKA ON WHY OVERSEAS-BASED PLAYERS NOT INCLUDED IN AMAJITA SQUAD
In an interview with FARPost, the coach stated that this was an urgent camp because they got COSAFA qualifiers in September that’s why they selected a pool of local-based players, as they needed to hit the ground running.
However, when the ex-Marumo Gallants mentor was quizzed about the possibility of seeing overseas players in his squad in the future, he said: “Most definitely [they will be included] in our programmes going forward. It is just that we are just starting now.
“You may not be seeing them now. But moving forward, we will be able to see some new faces from overseas players who qualify as U20 in the country.
“The players that have the potential to represent and do well for the country. We will open the door for such players going forward so we can have a look at them.”
ANOTHER REASON WHY OVERSEAS-BASED PLAYERS ARE NOT INCLUDED IN AMAJITA
The challenges of finances at SAFA might be another reason why overseas-based players are not included in the Amajita squad, as the association has to book flights and make other arrangements for the youngsters.
Earlier this week, former SAFA vice president Ria Ledwaba stated that the organisation is having financial problems to the extent that it cannot run school sports, as it dissolved the organisation that was running the school’s sport on behalf of SAFA.
“Remember there was an organisation that was looking after schools’ sports, and that organization was dissolved for no personal reason. It was never a decision taken because the organisation is not doing 123. You can’t run anything when you can’t even do something for your region, and now you want to take school sports when your regions are collapsing.
“Your regions must first work and give the legends to run school sport, and let’s see what happens,” said Ledwaba.
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