The South African under-23 team, Amaglug-glug, find themselves between a rock and a hard place as they have been drawn to face Angola in their final qualifying game for the All Africa Games. Only one will get a place in the games to be held in Nigeria in October.
Coach Conti Kubheka is optimistic his squad is well prepared for Angola, saying this is a stepping stone to the Olympics. Kubheka said: ‘Angola is a tough team to beat and they are strong, but I will be cautious in the match and not allow them to score here at home and in the return leg so as to beat them convincingly.â€Â
What Kubheka is attempting is what no South African under-23 coach has managed to do: beat the Angolans. The South African players are in high spirits and determined to win the game on Saturday at the Orlando stadium, says the coach.
The Angolans have a strong team consisting mainly of players from the squad that won the 2001 African youth championship and went on to represent Africa in the world youth cup. These players come with experience of competitive games, something the South African players are lacking.Â
The return leg is next month and Amaglug-glug will also play in a four-nations tournament scheduled for early February.