While the senior national team will not be participating in next year’s African Nations Cup finals‚ South Africa’s junior sides are on the march and the under-20 team aim to make the step up this weekend. The under-23 side are practising for their appearance at next month’s Rio Olympics and the under-17 side went to the World Cup for the first time last year.This weekend it is the turn of the under-20s to try and snatch a place in the eight-team African Youth Championship that will be hosted in Zambia next February.They need to hold on to a 2-0 lead from the first leg of their final qualifying tie when they host Lesotho in the return game in Bloemfontein on Saturday. Coach Thabo Senong named an expanded 27-man squad for the game in the Free State capital‚ adding Athenkosi Dladla and Riyaaz Ismail (SuperSport United)‚ Zola Jingxi (AmaZulu)‚ Khanyisa Mayo (SuperSport United)‚ Tyrone Monde (University of the Free State) and Tebeho Qinsile (Bloemfontein Celtic) to the selection.Fakry Lakay‚ who played in the first leg in Maseru‚ has suffered a groin injury and is out‚ which means there are no players with any top flight experience in the squad‚ except Kobamelo Kodisang of Platinum Stars. Wits’ striker Luvoyo Mkatshana was injured on the eve of the first leg trip to Maseru and faces an entire season on the sidelines after extensive knee ligament damage.He is due to go under the knife later this week once the swelling in his knee subsides.- TMG Digital..