Work for Rio starts now, says Da Gama

THE celebrations at qualifying for the 2016 Rio Olympics are over and coach Owen da Gama says the hard work to ensure the team does not disappoint at next year’s Games starts now.

The Under-23s were welcomed by South African Football Association CEO Dennis Mumble, Bafana Bafana coach Shakes Mashaba, Banyana Banyana coach Vera Pauw and her team at OR Tambo International airport yesterday.

The South Africans booked a place at the world’s biggest sporting event after beating CAF Under23 Championship hosts Senegal 3-1 via a penalty shoot-out in the third-place playoff on Saturday.

“The job is not finished yet. We have to go to Rio and leave a mark. We have to do well and the biggest achievement for me will be if we have eight or nine players getting scouted there,” said Da Gama.

“We need to give them the exposure. We have already started looking at the teams that have qualified for the Olympics. We will sit down and look at the way forward,” he said.

Da Gama has warned players that no-one is guaranteed a place in the team and has urged them to go and perform at club level.

“Players know that no-one is guaranteed a spot in the team. These players need to go to their (club) teams and take it further for us to select them again,” the former Platinum Stars coach said.

Mashaba, the last South African coach to qualify for the Olympics, in 2000, is delighted that the team will participate at the showpiece for the first time in 16 years.

“It was our plan and we are on the right track of achieving it.”