Deadline for provisional Rio team
THE SA Football Association must today submit a second provisional squad list of no more than 35 players to Fifa for the Olympic Games in August.
The squad selected for the Cosafa Castle Cup in Namibia later this month is a good indicator of who will be there. The final squad of 18 players – with four names on stand-by – must be submitted by July 14.
The reduced size of the squad for the Olympics gives coaches little room to manoeuvre and under-23 tactician Owen da Gama will want to make sure he has all bases covered in the event of injuries or suspensions. It seems likely that the core of the squad that will compete in the Cosafa tournament will go to Rio.
This includes overseas-based players Lebo Mothiba and Lebogang Phiri.
The inclusion of relatively inexperienced goalkeeper Jody February for the Namibian tournament is a sign perhaps that Bafana Bafana skipper Itumeleng Khune will be drafted in for the Olympics as an overage player. This becomes more likely as Reyaad Pieterse was selected for Cosafa, perhaps already planting that seed.
Ajax Cape Town defender Rivaldo Coetzee was on the initial squad list submitted for the Cosafa Cup, but was later removed and replaced by Bloemfontein Celtic striker Thapelo Morena. It is almost certain Coetzee will go to Rio, though, and is likely just being rested after a long season, along with Kwanda Mngonyama (Maritzburg United) and Tshepo Rikhotso (Celtic).
Keagan Dolly’s inclusion in the Cosafa tournament ahead of CAF Champions League action with Mamelodi Sundowns shows his importance to Da Gama’s side.
Gift Motupa (Orlando Pirates), Phumlani Ntshangase (Bidvest Wits) and the versatile Abbubaker Mobara (Ajax Cape Town) should also be sure bets.
New Pirates acquisition from Baroka FC, Thabiso Kutumela, has emerged as a key attacker along with Mothiba. It seems Da Gama will choose a proven goal scorer as an overage player given the lack of experience among the squad’s current forwards. SA have been drawn alongside Denmark, Iraq and hosts Brazil in their Olympic group.