Head Coach of the South African U17 Women’s National Team (Bantwana), Nthabeleng Modiko, has called up a preliminary squad of 35 players to start preparations for the upcoming FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup qualifier against Ethiopia.
The team goes into a 10-day selection and training camp from 15 – 25 January.
Modiko, who is also the Head Coach of the University of Johannesburg’s Hollywoodbets Super League team, will trim down the squad shortly before the first leg which will be played away in Ethiopia on Friday, 2 February 2024, with the reverse fixture pencilled in for Saturday, 10 February 2024 at the Lucas Moripe Stadium in Atteridgeville.
Bantwana will be hoping to put to good use the two friendly matches they played in October last year away in Morocco where they drew 1-all in the first fixture, only to go down 2-0 in the second game – and this was their first taste of international football.
After receiving a bye in the first round, South Africa enters the competition in the second round – and victory against the East Africans will set up a third round meeting against either DR Congo or Kenya in May.
The fourth and final round will take place in June, while the 2024 FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup will be held, for the first time ever, in the Dominican Republic from 16 October to 3 November.
The African continent has been allocated three slots – in 2018 it was represented by Morocco (who bombed out in the group stages), Tanzania (reached the quarterfinals) and Nigeria (who returned home with a bronze medal).
Sixteen teams in total, including the hosts, make up the tournament and the 2024 tournament will be the eight edition.
The South Africans will be hoping for their third qualification following appearances at the 2010 and 2018 FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup tournaments in Trinidad and Tobago as well as Uruguay respectively.
In the first competition the team was under the tutelage of Solly Luvhengo and featured current Banyana Banyana players like Jermaine Seoposenwe, Robyn Moodaly, Kaylin Swart and Nomvula Kgoale.
For the 2018 edition, former Banyana Banyana defender and captain Simphiwe Dludlu, qualified and led the squad in South America, with the help of Karabo Dlamini, Fikile Magama, Lonathemba and Sibulele Holweni, all of whom have now become regulars in the South African Senior Women’s National team.
SA U17 PRELIMINARY TRAINING SQUAD FOR WORLD CUP QUALIFIERS
| NAME | POSITION | CLUB |
| SHIFAA OOSSEN | GOALKEEPERS | SAFA Academy (Gauteng) |
| BILQEES SALIE | SAFA Academy (Gauteng) | |
| MBALI NDLOVU | SAFA Academy (Gauteng) | |
| CASEY GORDAN | JVW Academy (Gauteng) | |
| SINETHEMBA NGCOBO | DEFENDERS | Napoli FC (Free State) |
| BONOLO MOKOMA | JVW Academy (Gauteng) | |
| BONOLO PHOSHOKO | SAFA Academy (Gauteng) | |
| NOMFUNDO MOTAUNG | Springs Home Sweepers (Gauteng) | |
| SETHABILE KAMWANDA | Mamelodi Sundowns Academy (Gauteng) | |
| APHELELE MHLONGO | Edendale High School (KZN) | |
| MASABATA MOTHAPO | Ixias FC (Free State) | |
| SAMKELO GWAMANDA | Edendale High School (KZN) | |
| MPUMELELO MNISI | JVW Academy (Gauteng) | |
| MPHO NKADIMENG | MIDFIELDERS | SAFA Academy (Gauteng) |
| LINDELWA MABUZA | Mamelodi Sundowns Academy (Gauteng) | |
| ZOE OCTOBER | Cape Town Spurs (Western Cape) | |
| NOMASWAZI VILAKAZI | University of Pretoria (Gauteng) | |
| JULIA GONCALVES | JVW Academy (Gauteng) | |
| KATLEHO MALEBANA | Mamelodi Sundowns Academy (Gauteng) | |
| LUTHANDO RADEBE | Durban Ladies (KZN) | |
| LULAMELA VENA | Cape Town Roses (Western Cape) | |
| KELEBOHILE MOKGADI | Napoli FC (Free State) | |
| COURTNEY JACOBS | SAFA Academy (Gauteng) | |
| THAKGATSO MOTHALA | Dinaledi Ladies (Limpopo) | |
| KEITUMETSE MENEO | FORWARDS | SAFA Academy (Gauteng) |
| KHAUHELO KOESHE | Napoli FC (Free State) | |
| NAYLENE MORGAN | SAFA Academy (Gauteng) | |
| KHUTSO MOGANO | SAFA Academy (Gauteng) | |
| SHAKIRA RAHMAN | Royal Queens (North West) | |
| TSHEPI MAKOLE | Copperbelt Ladies (Limpopo) | |
| ADRIELLE MIBE | University of Johannesburg (Gauteng) | |
| ZIGGY MUSENDO | Napoli FC ((Free State) | |
| GUGU MABITSELA | Mamelodi Sundowns Academy (Gauteng) | |
| KHWEZI KHOZA | Sunflower WFC (KZN) | |
| MPHO OGOTSE | SAFA Academy (Gauteng) |
By Matlhomola Morake
