SOUTH African Under-20 coach Thabo Senong could again enter the irritating club-versus-country battlefield as he attempts to get all the players he called up to report for their camp for the Fifa Youth World Cup in South Korea in May.
The first battle lines have been drawn as Senong’s first camp approaches, which will see 28 players head to the Netherlands ahead of the tournament from 20 May to 11 June. The squad will be trimmed to 26 and later to 23.
But with the Absa Premiership having reached a crucial stage and the majority of Senong’s players plying their trade in the PSL, clubs might make things difficult for the Amajita coach.
Players are expected to report for camp today as they will be leaving for the Netherlands next Monday, where they will hold a two-week training camp ahead of the all-important global competition.
The players return from the Netherlands on 3 May before departing for South Korea three days later, meaning selected players will have to miss the remainder of the PSL season, which only ends on 27 May.
Senong’s squad includes Bidvest Wits players Reeve Frosler and Phakamani Mahlambi, Teboho Mokoena and Fagrie Lakay from SuperSport United, Platinum Stars’ Kobamelo Kodisang and Ajax Cape Town’s Grant Margeman, who are all regulars for their respective teams. Their coaches may not be eager to release them.
Wits and SuperSport are title contenders, while Ajax and Stars, who are 10th and 11th respectively, will be eyeing a top eight finish.
When Amajita went to Zambia for the Africa Youth Cup of Nations earlier this year, they left without Mahlambi, who had to feature for his club in crucial league games.
Senong might now find himself in a similar predicament.
Mahlambi is one still a key player for Wits, as is Frosler, who raced to stardom when he got his chance as replacement for Nazeer Allie, currently out for six weeks due to injury.
Wits coach Gavin Hunt has Frosler and Gaxa in the right-back position and will surely not be keen to manage without Frosler.
Lakay just returned from injury and is only now finding his feet in the Matsatsantsa setup. He scored his first goal since returning from injury when they hammered Liberia’s Barrack Young Controllers 5-0 in the Caf Confederation Cup at the weekend.
