Orlando Pirates quartet selected for South Africa U23 qualifiers

Orlando Pirates FC have four players in the South Africa U23 squad for the upcoming AFCON and Olympic Games qualifiers against Madagascar.

Four Orlando Pirates FC players have been selected for the South Africa U23 squad to face Madagascar in key qualifiers this month. Head coach Raymond Mdaka named a 24-man group for the CAF Africa Cup of Nations and Olympic Games qualifying double-header.

Kgoleng Ratisani, Neo Rapoo, Camren Dansin and Simphiwe Selepe are the Pirates representatives. The squad is largely based on the group that played two friendlies against Algeria in Bloemfontein earlier this month. Mdaka noted the significance of the upcoming fixtures. "This will be the first official fixtures for the SA U23 squad in a long time," the coach said. He added that the team's assembly has the clear objective of taking a strong first-leg advantage against Madagascar.

Qualifier schedule

The two-legged tie will be played entirely in Pretoria. The first leg, designated as Madagascar's home game, is at the Lucas Moripe Stadium on Saturday, 14 November at 3pm. The return leg follows at the same venue on Tuesday, 17 November with an 8pm kick-off. The winner over the two matches will advance to face either Rwanda or Cameroon in the next round next March. The top two nations at the 2027 U23 AFCON will earn a place at the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.

Pirates in strong form

The call-ups come as Orlando Pirates enjoy an excellent run of form. They sit second in the Premier Soccer League standings with 25 points from nine games, having recorded eight wins and a draw. They are just one point behind leaders Mamelodi Sundowns. Their last outing was a 2-1 victory over rivals Kaizer Chiefs on Saturday 31 October, with goals from Yanela Mbuthuma and Tshepang Moremi, extending their winning streak to five matches. This run of five wins and no draws or losses includes victories over Milford FC, African Stars, and TS Galaxy. The team has scored 21 goals while conceding only two this season. Key contributors like Tshepang Moremi, the club's top scorer with five goals in seven appearances this season, have driven this success. The team's next fixture is a league match against Siwelele on Wednesday 4 November, where they will look to continue their momentum.

Other notable selections in the U23 squad include Mamelodi Sundowns duo Gomolemo Kekana and Kutlwano Letlhaku, as well as Kaizer Chiefs' Mfundo Vilakazi. The first competitive action for this group kicks off at Lucas Moripe Stadium on 14 November.