Da Gama is Olympic Games material
NOT since the class of 2000 has the national under-23 team enjoyed success.
At times this team, meant to be a feeder for Bafana Bafana, was nonexistent, going for long periods without any action.
The class of 2000, led by the lanky Matthew Booth, was quite a special group, with the likes of Benni McCarthy, Delron Buckley, Siyabonga Nomvethe and Quinton Fortune in the squad.
Fast-forward to 2015 and current coach Owen da Gama has a team capable of being just as great as the one Ephraim “Shakes” Mashaba coached at the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games.
Da Gama has named a strong 21-man squad for the upcoming Caf Under-23 Championship, which serves as qualifiers for the 2016 Rio Games, and Booth is convinced this team is the best under23 side he has seen since the one he played in 15 years ago.
With Keagan Dolly, Rivaldo Coetzee, Menzi Masuku, Abbubaker Mobara and Siphelele Ntshangase, Da Gama has some of the brightest talent South Africa has to offer.
“It definitely looks like it [the best team since 2000], but obviously time will tell. We have to wait and see how they perform,” Booth said. “On paper it looks a very formidable side and on par with what we had in 2000.
“You see, the key to our small success was consistency. We had been together since the under-20s, for about six years, and we knew each other very well. The current team has a lot of talented players, but they are at a disadvantage because they have not had much time to prepare together as a team.
“The good thing is that most of the boys have PSL experience. Eighty percent of them are regulars at their clubs and that’s great news. We need to take the tournament seriously because we have not had a presence since 2000. We are getting outshone by the women’s team [Banyana Banyana].”
Booth has praised Da Gama for including Ajax Cape Town defender Coetzee, who has 15 Bafana caps.
“It’s very clever to include him. The rest of the players will lift their game to his high standards. It’s not a step down for him . . . I am sure he understands the value of playing at the Olympics.”