Khaya Ndubane

By Khaya Ndubane

Digital Manager Phakaaathi


Amajita to hold training camp in Netherlands

South African national U20 men’s team will hold their first phase of training camp from April 19 to May 3.


The camp will involve a visit to Amsterdam, Netherlands on 24 April.

After the first phase, Amajita will move base to Asia for the final preparations for the FIFA U20 World Cup which will run from 20 May to 11 June 2017 in South Korea.

For the first phase of the camp, head Coach Thabo Senong has named a squad of 28 players that will report for camp on 19 April.

The team will then travel to Europe on 24 April until 3 May.

Amajita are drawn in group D together with European giants Italy, South America’s Uruguay and Japan.

“This will be our first phase of preparation and we are looking at a pool of players who have represented Amajita from the qualifiers of the AFCON. We are looking at those who participated in the AFCON and those that we have called up before but were not released by their clubs.

“We will be hosted by the Royal Dutch Football Association (KNVB) in Amsterdam, Netherlands from 24 April 2017 to 3 May and have scheduled a few practice matches against the likes of Feyenoord, Ajax Amsterdam F.C. and PEC Zwolle respectively,” said Senong.

“Our main focus in this camp is to get the players to work as a team. There will be more character building, confidence boosting and mental and physical strengthening rather than tactical approaches,” added Senong.

The 28-man squad:

Goalkeepers: Sanele Tshabalala (Bidvest Wits), Darren Johnson (Ajax Cape Town), Mondli Mpoto (SuperSport United), Khulekani Kubheka (Mamelodi Sundowns)

Defenders: Malebogo Modise (Mamelodi Sundowns), Thendo Mukumela (Mamelodi Sundowns), Notha Ngcobo (Mamelodi Sundowns), Tercious Malepe (Orlando Pirates), Shane Saralina (Ajax Cape Town), Sandile Mthetwa (Orlando Pirates), Aghmat Ceres (Ajax Cape Town), Reeve Frosler (Bidvest Wits), Siyabonga Ngezana (Kaizer Chiefs).

Midfielders: Sipho Mbule (SuperSport United), Wiseman Meyiwa (Kaizer Chiefs), Nkosingiphile Ngcobo (Kaizer Chiefs), Sibongakonke Mbatha (Bidvest Wits), Kobamelo Kodisang (Platinum Stars), Grant Margeman (Ajax Cape Town), Teboho Mokoena (SuperSport United), Kabelo Seriba (FC Metta, Latvia), Masilakhe Pholongo (Ajax Cape Town), Luther Singh (Sporting Braga, Portugal)

Strikers: Fagrie Lakay (SuperSport United), Itumeleng Shopang (Kaizer Chiefs), Phakamani Mahlambi (Bidvest Wits), Liam Jordan (Sporting Lisbon, Portugal), Thabo Cele (Benfica, Portugal)

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