Notoane Backs His U23 Squad To Get Past Togo

South Africa Under-23 coach, David Notoane has backed his latest squad to get past Togo next week on the road to the U23 Africa Cup of Nations and Olympic games. The Amagluglug side rarely sees any football action as a team but Notoane is confident nothing will hinder the progress of his boys.

“We had to put together a team that will be able to give us an advantage in the first leg, secure a victory first, try not to concede and come away with a clean sheet in Togo, which will be very difficult in a hostile environment and with altitude also a very important factor to consider,” Notoane told SAFA Media.

Notoane’s perennial selection challenges are not helped by the two qualifying legs fall outside FIFA so PSL clubs have no obligation to release players.

“In terms of selecting the players, we had a lot of engagements with the PSL, with the clubs directly to see which players are available. We also requested some fixtures, especially in the ABC Motsepe League, to be moved. Those are some of the challenges we had to overcome in finalizing the squad. But one is confident that we have put together a team that will be strong enough, competitive enough and we should be able to come out of Togo with something positive,” explained Notoane.

The 53-year old coach has had to consider using some of the players from the ongoing COSAFA U20 tournament in eSwatini. With PSL games in full swing, the named squad might still change before leaving for Togo.

AmaZulu FC midfielder Ethan Brooks is the most recognisable name on the list and will be the obvious leader along with Kaizer Chiefs’ Mduduzi Tshabalala. As with previous years, more players will become if Notoane manages to further the qualifiers, tournament, and qualifies for the Olympics.