Coach puts strict selection criteria
As it has always been preached, talent alone is not enough in football.
This has also been echoed by SA Under-17 coach Molefi Ntseki before he trims his provisional Amajimbos squad of 32 players to 20 next week.
Amajimbos are in camp preparing for the Cosafa U-17 Championships in Mauritius from July 19 to 29.
“Talent will always be there and we are happy to have called 30 players. But the most difficult part of it is when you have to select the final squad,” said Ntseki.
“We look at how passionate and coachable the player is. We will also look at how the player recovers when he goes through a slump or injury. So, talent alone is not enough.
“If ever you take all talented players and you do not have players who have professional arrogance to understand what competition is, you may not achieve your goals.”
The Amajimbos tactician says his troops are happy to be in the team and they cannot wait to compete in this 12-team contest. Ntseki also feels his experience will be crucial in making sure that they win this tournament.
“They are all looking forward to be the champions. We feel we stand a good chance because we have the experience. We have been there before, when most of these boys were between 14 and 15 years old. My experience will be very important,” noted Ntseki.
Amajimbos will open their account with a clash against Lesotho on July 20 before facing Mozambique two days later. Their final group tier is against Zambia on July 24.
The winner will automatically qualify for the African U-17 Championships in Tanzania from May 12-26 next year.
Ntseki and his charges will jet off to the Indian Ocean Island next Saturday.