South Africa U17 head coach Duncan Crowie has confirmed one player has yet to arrive in camp but preparations are going well for the U17 Africa Cup of Nations.
On Thursday, SAFA expressed their dismay at Mamelodi Sundowns’ teenage sensation Siyabonga Mabena not being released for their ongoing U17 training camp.
Sundowns have claimed they communicated that he has Premier Soccer League commitments but would be available after the Golden Arrows clash, to which they have stated SAFA has not responded.
However, the SAFA felt the Mabena issue and a couple of their players arriving late due to participation in the Bayhill Premier Cup in Cape Town, should have been communicated to them earlier.
Amidst the slight hiccup in preparations Crowie, speaking to SAFA media stated there’s reasons to be excited about heading towards Algeria.
“We have been in camp since Sunday and all the players reported for camp except for one. Preparations have been going well as we have been following a program, and I am happy with the outcome,” Crowie said.
“As far as the players are concerned, a lot of them have put up their hands. Yes, we have to select a squad of 21 players out of the 28 that we have in camp.
“We have talented players in the camp but unfortunately we can only select 21. It won’t be all doom and gloom for those who are not in the final squad as their names will go into the database, and they will be up for future selections.”
The U17 side will have one local friendly and two in North Africa before the tournament opener against Morocco on 30 April. Crowie will announce his squad for the 2023 U17 Africa Cup of Nations next week Tuesday, 18 April.
