Mdaka warns South Africa U23s against complacency after narrow Madagascar win

Raymond Mdaka, coach of the South African U23 Men's National Team, has warned his players against showing an overinflated sense of superiority over their COSAFA opponents in the upcoming CAF Under-23 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers in Egypt 2027. The team's first-round bye, based on their stellar performances in the last three editions, has afforded them an opportunity to face fellow COSAFA members such as Angola, Zambia, and Mozambique, a situation Mdaka sees as a potential source of complacency.

Mdaka expressed his belief that the opponents, including Madagascar, which South Africa defeated 1-0 in their first leg, have shown significant improvement in recent times. He emphasized, "Football has improved a lot among the COSAFA countries." The coach cautioned, "You always think twice about playing Angola, Zambia, or Mozambique. Honestly, I think there is a lot of improvement among the teams that we are playing against. You can also attest to that today with what you saw from Madagascar."

Mdaka's team set a positive tone in the first leg, overcoming Madagascar at the Lucas Moripe Stadium. However, they took an away-goal advantage into the second leg, which is scheduled for Tuesday night at 8pm. The seven nations advancing from the second round will head into the decisive third round, where seven two-legged ties will determine the teams joining Egypt at the finals. The dates for the third round have not yet been announced by CAF.

The South African squad, loaded with PSL stars and Europe-based internationals, is expected to advance easily. However, Mdaka remains cautious, stating, "For the technical team, at least we've got something to work off. They were a closed book, very closed, whereas they knew all about us." The coach believes the first-leg performance against Madagascar will prove valuable for the team as they prepare for the second leg.