{
  "id": 11595911,
  "title": "Safa must invest in Raymond Mdaka to safeguard South Africa’s U23 golden generation",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/03/safa-must-invest-in-raymond-mdaka-to-safeguard-south-africas-u23",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-10-03T04:00:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "IOL",
    "slug": "iol",
    "url": "https://iol.co.za/sport/soccer/bafana/2026-10-03-safa-must-invest-in-raymond-mdaka-to-safeguard-south-africas-u23-golden-generation/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The South African U-23 team, arguably at its strongest since the 2000 Olympic class, showcased composure, precision, and chemistry in a 3-1 friendly victory against Tanzania. Assistant coach Kabelo Mogudi credits the team's success to hard work and sacrifice, as many players have grown from the U20 side, Amajita, which recently dominated the COSAFA and African stages and earned a World Cup berth. Despite hardships during AFCON preparation, such as inadequate accommodations, the team persevered and won the Africa Youth Championship for the first time, securing their World Cup qualification and paving the way for higher promotions. Now, the U-23s aim to finish in the top two at the upcoming AFCON in Egypt, paving the way for their first appearance in the Los Angeles Olympics since 2020. However, head coach Raymond Mdaka, who oversees both the U20 and U23 teams, faces underpayment from SAFA. While his U20 counterpart, Hugo Broos, earns a substantial R1.4 million monthly salary, Mdaka has reportedly received under R50,000 on a month-to-month basis. SAFA must address this disparity to demonstrate its commitment to building a sustainable pathway from the junior ranks to the national team.",
  "summary": "A impressive comeback win over Tanzania proves South Africa’s Olympic pipeline is back on track, but SAFA must back its dual-role mastermind with proper pay and resources to reach LA 2028.",
  "key_points": [
    "South African U-23 team wins 3-1 against Tanzania",
    "Assistant coach Kabelo Mogudi credits hard work and sacrifice",
    "Head coach Raymond Mdaka underpaid, earning under R50,000"
  ],
  "editors_take": "SAFA's failure to adequately compensate head coach Raymond Mdaka undermines its professed investment in the promising U23 team and may jeopardize the country's chances of developing a sustainable football pathway.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}