The absence of South Africa's junior national teams from the ongoing Olympics in Paris has raised concerns among the nation's football enthusiasts.
In response, Dr. Danny Jordaan, the president of the South African Football Association (SAFA), has assured the public that significant efforts are being made to enhance the performance and preparation of these teams for future international competitions, including World Cup tournaments.
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During a media briefing at the launch of the R32 million K Motsepe Schools competition, Jordaan outlined SAFA's strategic initiatives aimed at developing a robust pipeline of young talent.
"FIFA has announced that the Under-17 and Under-20 World Cups will be every year and as an association and country we will make sure we have those teams ready all the time. We already have a core of Under-17 boys and girls who can be ready at any given time to represent the national team. Now there is another platform to identify talented players at an early stage of Under-14 and build a strong Under-17 team to participate in CAF and COSAFA so that we can qualify for the World Cup," Jordaan told the media.
The focus is not only on immediate preparation but also on establishing a sustainable model for continuous development across all junior levels. Jordaan emphasized the importance of starting from the grassroots.
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"We just have to build a strong foundation from as far as Under-13 and Under-14 who can represent the country at Under 17. Then we fight to qualify for the Under-17 and Under-20 World Cups the we can build a strong Under-23 team which can qualify for the Olympic games. It's unfortunate that the Olympics only come after four years and we have to wait that long. But we will work hard to keep all the junior teams active," Jordaan concluded.
This reflects SAFA's commitment to not only addressing the current gaps in junior national team performances but also ensuring that South Africa remains competitive on the global stage by nurturing young talents from an early age. The integration of these efforts with broader national sports development initiatives, such as the K Motsepe Schools competition, highlights the multifaceted strategy aimed at elevating South African football.
