U23s coach Da Gama picks 11 players from his NFD pool

10 November 2015 - 02:02 By Nick Said

National First Division leading scorer Thabiso Kutumela has been included in the national Under-23 training squad that begins a camp in Johannesburg today. Kutumela, 22, from table-toppers Baroka FC, has been in remarkable form this campaign, netting 10 times in as many starts.The striker is one of 11 players from the NFD named in coach Owen da Gama's local selection as he attempts to spread his net wide ahead of the 2015 Africa Under-23 Cup of Nations to be played in Senegal starting on November 23.Cape Town All Stars, who were knocked off the top of the first division table this past weekend by Baroka, have three players in the junior squad - goalkeeper Kyle Peters and midfielders Stanley Mokgoka and Paseka Mako.That is more than any other team, with Orlando Pirates providing midfielders Gift Motupa and Menzi Masuku, and Ajax Cape Town sending Riyaad Norodien and Abbubaker Mobara.Denwin Farmer, 19, from Supersport United, also got the nod in a side to be captained by Mamelodi Sundowns' Keagan Dolly when they take on Tanzania in a friendly later today .There are five players in the squad with Bafana experience - Dolly, Mothupa, defenders Kwanda Mngonyama and Tebogo Moerane, and forward Siphelele Ntshangase.The squad will be in camp until Saturday under the gaze of Da Gama, who has been released from his duties as assistant coach to Bafana for their World Cup qualifier against Angola in Benguela on Friday.He will link up again with the national side when they return from that game for the second leg against the Angolans in Durban on Tuesday.South Africa host Senegal in the Under-23 Cup of Nations opener on November 28, before a meeting with Zambia on December 1.Their final Group A game is against north African side Tunisia three days later.Amaglug-glug need to finish in the top three in the competition to book a place in Rio, where they could join the South African senior women's national side, who qualified last month by beating Equatorial Guinea over two legs.Under-23 SquadGoalkeepers: Mbulelo Ngqobe (Vasco da Gama), Ricardo Goss (Lamontville Golden Arrows), Kyle Peters (Cape Town All Stars)Defenders: Tshepo Rikhotso (Bloemfontein Celtic), Kwanda Mngonyama (Maritzburg United), Thabo Makhele (Witbank Spurs), Refentse Mphele (Highlands Park), Zitha Macheke (Chippa United), Denwin Farmer (Supersport United), Grant Bruchhausen (Highlands Park), Tebogo Moerane (BidVest Wits)Midfielders: Abbubaker Mobara (Ajax Cape Town), Gift Motupa (Orlando Pirates), Stanley Mokgoka (Cape Town All Stars), Keagan Dolly (Mamelodi Sundowns), Nkanyiso Zungu (AmaZulu), Paseka Mako (Cape Town All Stars), Deolin Mekoa (Maritzburg United), Riyaad Norodien (Ajax Cape Town)Strikers: Menzi Masuku (Orlando Pirates), Siphelele Ntshangase (Black Leopards), Thabiso Kutumela (Baroka), Julius Likontsane (Witbank Spurs)...

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