The SA Under-23 vs Madagascar clash on Saturday is one of several matches around the continent where countries are scrambling for a place in the third round of the CAF U-23 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers, which will take place in March 2027.

The two-legged qualifiers will be played at the Lucas Moripe Stadium in Atteridgeville on Saturday, November 14 and Tuesday, November 17. Both games will take place in SA because Madagascar does not have adequate facilities that meet CAF and FIFA standards.

All these preliminary qualifying rounds are for the final destination: the 2028 Olympic Games that will take place in Los Angeles in the US.

Previously and affectionately known as AmaGlug-Glug, the SA Under-23 team has always been very close to the hearts of South African football followers. It all started in the late 1990s and early 2000’s when a group of young, shiny-faced, Under-23 players made a mark and charmed Mzansi while playing for the Sasol-sponsored AmaGlug-Glug, a name that still holds a special place in the history of SA diski.

The likes of Benni McCarthy, Siyabonga Nomvete, Jabu Pule, Steve Lekoelea, Aaron Mokoena, Fabian McCarthy, Matthew Booth, Abram Nteo, David Kannemeyer, Nkiphiteni Matombo and Stanton Fredericks made history when, for the first time, they represented South Africa at the 2 000 Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia.

This weekend, a new generation of players has the opportunity to copy the likes of McCarthy and Nomvete and make a name for themselves at the international level.

The current team, coached by Raymond Mdaka, is brimming with stars and boasts an arsenal of talented players who are regulars at their clubs. Kaizer Chiefs’ dribbling maestro Mfundo Vilakazi is one of the popular faces in the squad, and he is joined by Orlando Pirates’ Cemran Dansin, Simphiwe Selepe, Mpho Padime and Neo Rapoo. From Sundowns, the likes of Gomolemo Kekana, Lazola Maku, and Kutlwano Letlhaku are also in the team.

These players will be joined by overseas-based stars such as Shandre Campbell (KV Kortrijk, Belgium), Fletcher Smythe-Lowe (Estoril Praia, Portugal) and Tylon Smith (New England Revolution, USA).

Many of the players have been part of this 2028 project since it started in 2024 and were instrumental in helping the team win the COSAFA Under-20 Championships, where Campbell was voted Player of the Tournament. The team won the AFCON Under-20 and participated in the Under-20 FIFA World Cup in Chile.

Campbell, who recently moved from Club Brugge to K.V. Kortrijk in the Belgian Pro League, will be expected to play a leading role in this team because of his experience with Bafana Bafana.

Said coach Mdaka ahead of the match: “We hope to do as much as we can to make sure that we qualify for the Olympics and we have shared with the boys that this could also be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity they might not get again and at least (being there) is a good representation of who you are as a player, so this is a motivation to the whole team.”

“Madagascar is a very closed book. We tried with everyone (to get information), including our senior team analyst, because Madagascar was not there in 2024 when we were playing COSAFA in Mozambique, and this is their age group. We checked everywhere we thought we could find something, but they remain a closed book. Other than that, we always have a way as the technical team and coaches to at least find something, there will always be a way out,” he added.