The South Africa national under-23 football team is a youth

football (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 ...

team, which represents

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the Atlantic Ocean, South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the ...

and is controlled by the South African Football Association, the governing body for football in South Africa. The team's main objectives are to qualify and play at the All-Africa Games and

Olympic Games 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 vari ...

. 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 being held in

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

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 gat ...

, 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 Sasol Limited is an integrated energy and chemical company based in Sandton, South Africa. The company was formed in 1950 in Sasolburg, South Africa and built on processes that were first developed by German chemists and engineers in the early ...

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 abo ...

, hosted in

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 ...

in Sydney, Australia.

Results and fixtures

;Legend

2019

2021

Coaching staff

Manager history

* Jean-Michel d'Avray (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 (2004) * Steve Komphela (2005) * Pitso Mosimane / Serame Letsoaka (2005) * Steve Komphela (2005–2007) *

David Notoane David Notoane (born 7 February 1969) is a South African soccer coach. He coached Santos Cape Town and the Cape Town All Stars, as well as the South African national U-20 and U-23 teams. He also served as assistant coach of the Mamelodi Sund ...

(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) *

(2022-present)

Players

Current squad

* The following players were called up for the 2023 Africa U-23 Cup of Nations qualification 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 * Brian Baloyi * Matthew Booth *

Delron Buckley Delron Sebastian Buckley (born 7 December 1977) is a South African former professional footballer. His preferred position was the left wing although he could also play as a striker. In September 2021, he was appointed Head Coach of the Universi ...

* Rowen Fernández * Stanton Fredericks *

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 M ...

* David Kannemeyer * Steve Lekoelea * Jabu Mahlangu *

Benni McCarthy Benedict Saul "Benni" McCarthy (born 12 November 1977) is a South African coach and former footballer who is a first-team coach at Manchester United. He previously worked as head coach of South African Premier Division team AmaZulu. A former f ...

* Fabian McCarthy *

Aaron Mokoena Teboho Aaron Mokoena (born 25 November 1980), known as Aaron Mokoena, is a South African former footballer. He is currently the assistant coach of Cape Town City. Club career Early career Mokoena was born in Boipatong. He moved to Bayer Leve ...

* Toni Nhleko *

Siyabonga Nomvete Siyabonga Eugene Nomvethe (; born 2 December 1977) is a South African former professional soccer player who played as a forward. Nomvethe played in several European leagues. Nomvethe represented the South Africa national team from his debut o ...

* Andile Jali *

Thulani Serero Thulani Caleb Serero (born 11 April 1990) is a South African soccer player who plays as a midfielder for Al Jazira and the South African national team. Prior to joining Al Jazira, he played for Ajax Cape Town in the South African Premier Soc ...

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 * 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 The penalty shootout is a method of determining a winner in sports matches that would have otherwise been drawn or tied. The rules for penalty shootouts vary between sports and even different competitions; however, the usual form is similar to pe ...

.''

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