Raymond Mdaka pushes for high-quality preparatory matches for U20 World Cup

The team lands this morning at 10am at the OR Tambo International Airport, as the first-ever South African junior national team to have been crowned continental champions. 

Amajita went to the AFCON without having played a single international friendly against one of the qualified teams, something Mdaka wants to avoid for the World Cup.

"We are going to a meeting around 26, 27 for a draw and a workshop, and then when we're coming back we'll know exactly where we are but in essence, you know we always have to look at the calendar at home,” Mdaka said.

“We always also look at the FIFA calendar because as much as we're having good relationships with the teams but we must also understand and squeeze ourselves where it allows us not to have squabbles and so on.

“So, it's something that we agreed with the technical team to say, we rest for that other week, and then we sit down and pen down who we want to see ourselves playing. Who and who before we go, where do we wanna play, and then we'll be able to submit in the office.

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Mdaka had earlier spoken about having 80 per cent of his squad for the World Cup in Chile already, and he’s now clarified that this percentage includes the players who weren’t part of this tournament, including Shandre Campbell and Mbekezeli Mbokazi.

"When I say 80%, I think they are included because you know there are these other three players that we'll always talk about. Asebo was here, he just got injured, Shandre we understand the issue, Mbekezeli same and Mabena same,” he added.

“The fortunate thing is that these players we have been with them, you remember we started the camp, we started everything with them. We don't even have a challenge, we are fine with them unless anything comes up, hence when we are talking about 80%, honestly, we're talking about the players that we started the camp in March with them.

"That's why people might not understand the unity that is there, the team spirit and everything, it's something that was built over a long time since we started building the team."