South Africa's U23s still have a chance at reaching the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo next year, and club commitments won't stop them from having a full-strength squad to face Ghana.
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David Notoane's side have put in a good showing in Egypt so far as they marched into the semi-finals of U23 African Cup of Nations without conceding a goal, however a contentious penalty decision last night set them on the way to a 3-0 defeat at the hands of the hosts.
The loss means that they will now take on the Ghanaians on Friday night in the third-place play-off, with a spot at Tokyo 2020 up for grabs for the two nations when they go head-to-head in Cairo.
While the international break will have come to an end, the South African Football Association confirmed to the Siya crew that, as things stand, nobody will be leaving ahead of their crucial play-off game, despite the fact that some of their respective clubs are in action over the weekend.
Siyabonga Ngezana and Happy Mashiane, for instance, will not be in Chiefs' squad for their Telkom Knockout semi-final against Maritzburg United on Sunday, while the likes of Lyle Foster and Luther Singh will not return to Europe for Cercle Brugge and Moreirense's games against Waasland-Beveren and Mafra.
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Notoane, who knows how important this Friday's game is, will be delighted that he can keep his squad together for the final hurdle, giving him the best chance of making sure they qualify for the showpiece in Japan next year.
Check out the highlights from the defeat v Egypt here: Highlights ??
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