Kaizer Chiefs will have five representatives in the South Africa Under-20 squad competing at the upcoming COSAFA U20 Championship in Mozambique.
Goalkeepers Takalani Mazhamba and Keabetswe Morake, defender Egan Freese, midfielder Teboho Mlangeni and attacker Steven Mendez have all been selected for Amajita’s 23-man squad.
Leadership role
Head coach Raymond Mdaka confirmed his final squad on Wednesday after assessing 31 players during a training camp in Johannesburg that began on 8 September.
The team departed for Mozambique on Thursday ahead of the regional tournament, where South Africa have been drawn in Group B alongside Lesotho, Angola and Eswatini.
Mazhamba has been given an additional leadership role after being named vice-captain, with Lazola Maku appointed captain.
Amajita aiming for third straight title
South Africa head into the tournament as back-to-back defending champions and will be targeting another successful campaign.
Amajita’s ambitions extend beyond retaining the COSAFA crown, with the tournament offering an important pathway towards continental and global competition.
South Africa will be aiming to secure one of the two available qualification places for the 2027 CAF U-20 Africa Cup of Nations in Ghana.
A strong showing at the continental tournament could then open the door to the FIFA U-20 Men’s World Cup, which is scheduled to be hosted by Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan next year.
Kaizer Chiefs youngsters face busy group stage
Amajita will begin their title defence against Lesotho on Saturday, 19 September at 12:00.
They will then face Angola on Monday, 21 September at 15:00, before completing the group stage against Eswatini on Wednesday, 23 September at 12:00.
The winners of each group, together with the best runner-up, will progress to the semi-finals.
For Kaizer Chiefs, the tournament provides an opportunity for five of their academy players to gain valuable international experience and test themselves against some of the region’s leading young talent.
The Soweto giants congratulated their five representatives and wished the entire Amajita squad well as they look to defend their COSAFA U20 title in Mozambique.
Meanwhile, Kaizer Chiefs only have one player in the 30-man Bafana Bafana squad to play AFCON 2027 qualifiers later this month.
