AFCON Under-20 winning coach Raymond Mdaka is on the verge of being named the new head coach of the South African Men’s Under-23 national team , FARPost can reveal.
Highly placed sources indicate that the South African Football Association [SAFA] has chosen Mdaka to spearhead the upcoming 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games qualification campaign, rewards for his stellar track record with the national junior echelons.
Mdaka famously masterminded Amajita’s historic continental triumph, guiding the South Africa Under-20 side to the Africa Cup of Nations [AFCON] title in 2025. That historic African conquest secured the team a spot at the FIFA U-20 World Cup in Chile.
Under his astute stewardship, the current generation of Amajita made history by becoming the first South African national team across any division to win two matches at a FIFA World Cup tournament, before bowing out gallantly to Colombia in the Round of 16.
At domestic level, Mdaka’s pedigree is well-documented. He was the tactical brain behind Marumo Gallants’ fairy-tale run in the CAF Confederation Cup, defying all odds to lead the club into the semi-finals of the continental competition.
His impressive resume previously saw him heavily linked with several high-profile Betway Premiership vacancies ahead of the 2025/26 season, including a heavily rumoured switch to Siwelele FC.
SAFA KICKSTARTS 2028 OLYMPIC SELECTION CAMP IN JOHANNESBURG
FARPost has firmly established that SAFA has already quietly initiated its technical roadmap toward the 2028 Summer Olympic Games, which will be staged in Los Angeles, USA, from July 14 to July 30, 2028.
Insiders have disclosed that a crucial six-day assessment camp is currently underway in Johannesburg, running from July 1 to July 6, 2026, to assess potential talent for the Olympic squad.
While the local football mother body is yet to make an official public announcement, Mdaka has already been tasked with leading the training camp, effectively taking over the reins from long-serving under-23 mentor David Notoane.
As previously reported by this publication, the plum national team job was initially earmarked for former Jwaneng Galaxy boss Morena Ramoreboli before his recent high-profile appointment as the head coach of the Botswana senior men’s national team.
Meanwhile, the Confederation of African Football [CAF] is expected to release the definitive qualifying fixtures, tournament formatting, and dates for the Men’s Olympic qualifiers in the coming weeks.
RELATED STORY: Amajimbos learn 2026 AFCON U-17 opponents