The South Africa national under-23 football team is a youth football (soccer) team, which represents South Africa and is controlled by the

South African Football Association The South African Football Association (colloquially known as SAFA) is the national administrative governing body that controls the sport of football in the Republic of South Africa (RSA) and is a member of the Confederation of African Football ...

, the governing body for

football in South Africa Association football, or soccer, as it is typically called in South Africa, is the nation's most popular sport and South Africa national soccer team (Bafana Bafana) is the nation's favourite sports team followed by rugby union and cricket. The g ...

. The team's main objectives are to qualify and play at the

All-Africa Games The African Games, formally known as the All-Africa Games or the Pan African Games, are a continental multi-sport event held every four years, organized by the African Union (AU) with the Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa (AN ...

and Olympic Games. The team has played at three All-Africa Games and one Olympic tournament. Players who are selected, will be 23 or younger in the following Olympic year. With the next

Olympics The modern Olympic Games or Olympics (french: link=no, Jeux olympiques) are the leading international sporting events featuring summer and winter sports competitions in which thousands of athletes from around the world participate in a var ...

being held in London in

2012 File:2012 Events Collage V3.png, From left, clockwise: The passenger cruise ship Costa Concordia lies capsized after the Costa Concordia disaster; Damage to Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey as a result of Hurricane Sandy; People gather ...

, players need to have been born on or after 1 January 1989. At the Olympic finals tournament, the team may be supplemented with 3 over-age players.

History

The team was started in 1994, when SAFA decided to form a youth team. The team has been sponsored by SASOL since its inception, leading to the nickname, 'Amaglug-glug'. The team's greatest achievements to date include a third-place finish at the

1999 All-Africa Games The 7th All-Africa Games were held from September 10, 1999, to September 19, 1999, in Greater Johannesburg, South Africa. 53 countries participated in eighteen sports. Netball was included as a demonstration sport. The South Africans hosted abou ...

, hosted in South Africa and qualifying for the

2000 Olympics The 2000 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of the XXVII Olympiad and also known as Sydney 2000 (Dharug: ''Gadigal 2000''), the Millennium Olympic Games or the Games of the New Millennium, was an international multi-sport event held from 1 ...

Sydney Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountain ...

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

Results and fixtures

;Legend

2019

2021

Coaching staff

Manager history

Jean-Michel d'Avray Jean-Michel (Mich) d'Avray (born 19 February 1962 in Johannesburg, South Africa) is a former professional association footballer who spent the majority of his playing career at Ipswich Town. He was most recently Technical Director at Ajax Cape T ...

(1993–1997) *

Ephraim Mashaba Ephraim Mashaba (born 6 August 1950) is a South African former soccer player and manager. Career Mashaba managed Vaal Reef Stars until the club was relegated from the South African top-tier. He managed the South Africa national team, but w ...

(1998–2002) * Kenneth Kubheka (2002–2004) *

Styles Phumo April Phumo (1 April 1937 – 27 November 2011) was a South African football player and coach. He was nicknamed "Styles". Early life April Phumo was born in Johannesburg on 1 April 1937. Playing career He was a squad member of the South Afric ...

(2004) *

Steve Komphela Steve Komphela (born 1 July 1967) is a South African football coach and a former player. He is the former manager of Maritzburg United, Kaizer Chiefs, Golden Arrows and Bloemfontein Celtic. He is currently working as a Senior Coach at Mamelod ...

(2005) *

Pitso Mosimane Pitso John Hamilton Mosimane (born 26 July 1964) is a South African professional football manager and a former player. He is the current manager of Saudi Arabian club Al-Ahli Jeddah. He is considered as one of the greatest coaches in Africa an ...

/ Serame Letsoaka (2005) *

(2005–2007) * David Notoane (2019–2021) *

Helman Mkhalele Helman Nkosiyethu Mkhalele (born 20 October 1969) is a South African former soccer player who played as a midfielder. He was the part of the Orlando Pirates squad that won the 1994 National Soccer League and 1995 African Cup of Champions Club ...

(2021–2022) * David Notoane (2022-present)

Players

Current squad

* The following players were called up for the

2023 Africa U-23 Cup of Nations qualification This article details the qualification schedule and matches for the 2023 U-23 Africa Cup of Nations. Players born 1 January 2001 or later were eligible to participate in the competition. A total of 8 teams, including automatically qualified hos ...

matches. * Match dates: 23 and 30 October 2022 * Opposition: * Caps and goals are correct as of: 22 October 2022

Notable players

Players who have previously played for the under-23 team, and have since gone on to play for the senior team: *

Emile Baron Emile Raymond Baron (born 17 June 1979) is a South African retired association football goalkeeper who has played for South Africa. International career Baron made his international debut in a friendly against Saudi Arabia on 20 March 2002 a ...

Brian Baloyi Brian Baloyi (born 16 March 1974) is a retired South African association football goalkeeper. Baloyi made his professional debut in 1993. He joined league rivals Mamelodi Sundowns in 2004 after playing for Kaizer Chiefs for over a decade. He i ...

* Matthew Booth * Delron Buckley *

Rowen Fernández Rowen Fernández (born 28 February 1978) is a South African former professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper. Club career Kaizer Chiefs Following a great season with ''The Students'', Fernández was signed by Kaizer Chiefs from W ...

Stanton Fredericks Stanton "Stiga" Fredericks (born 13 June 1978 in Johannesburg, Gauteng) is a South African association football player who last played as midfielder for Bidvest Wits in the Premier Soccer League and has previously represented South Africa. Stant ...

Quinton Fortune Quinton Fortune (born 21 May 1977) is a South African professional football coach and former player, who played as both a midfielder and a defender. His career began in Europe and after stints with Tottenham Hotspur, Mallorca and Atlético Madr ...

* David Kannemeyer *

Steve Lekoelea Steve "Chippa" Lekoelea (born 5 February 1979 in Sebokeng, Gauteng ''as Steve Motsiri'') is a South African football (soccer) midfielder who played for Premier Soccer League clubs Moroka Swallows, Orlando Pirates and South Africa. Career He was ...

* Jabu Mahlangu * Benni McCarthy * Fabian McCarthy * Aaron Mokoena * Toni Nhleko * Siyabonga Nomvete *

Andile Jali Andile Ernest Jali (born 10 April 1990) is a South African soccer player who plays for Mamelodi Sundowns in the Premier Soccer League and the South African national football team. Club career University of Pretoria Mhlekazi, as his teammate ...

* Thulani Serero *

Eric Mathoho Eric "Tower" Mathoho (born 1 May 1990 in Thohoyandou) is a South African football central defender. He currently plays for Kaizer Chiefs and South Africa. Early life Mathoho was born in Tshiombo near Thohoyandou. He played soccer from a young ...

Patrick Mbuthu Patrick may refer to: *Patrick (given name), list of people and fictional characters with this name *Patrick (surname), list of people with this name People *Saint Patrick (c. 385–c. 461), Christian saint *Gilla Pátraic (died 1084), Patrick or ...

* Nkiphiteni Matombo * Thiyekile Gulwa * Mzunani Mgwigwi

Overage players in Olympic Games

Competitive record

Olympic Games

*Prior to the 1992 Olympic Games campaign, the

Olympic football tournament Football at the Summer Olympics, referred to as the Olympic Football Tournament, has been included in every Summer Olympic Games as a men's competition sport, except 1896 (the inaugural Games) and 1932 (in an attempt to promote the new FIFA Wo ...

was open to full senior national teams.

Africa U-23 Cup of Nations

African Games

:''*Draws include knockout matches decided by penalty shootout.''

References

External links

South Africa FA official website
{{National Sports Teams of South Africa

Under Under may refer to: * "Under" (Alex Hepburn song), 2013 * "Under" (Pleasure P song), 2009 *Bülent Ünder (born 1949), Turkish footballer *Cengiz Ünder (born 1997), Turkish footballer *Marie Under Marie Under ( – 25 September 1980) was one o ...

African national under-23 association football teams

Soccer Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 players who primarily use their feet to propel the ball around a rectangular field called a pitch. The objective of the game is ...