Nurture the special class of 2016 Under-23s

I still believe this U23 generation that played in Rio is a special group that will one day give us an Africa Cup of Nations title, writes Njabulo Ngidi.

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I still believe this Under-23 generation that played at the Rio Olympics is a special group that will one day give us an Africa Cup of Nations title.

This is despite the team's elimination in the group stage of the Games. You might see this statement as deluded patriotism but I think these players will do something big in the future. Just wait and see.

They were let down by wastefulness in front of goal which is a national problem. With a prolific goalscorer, they can go far.

Lebogang Mothiba could be that star striker. He makes intelligent runs, reads the game well and is physically imposing. He just needs to work on his finishing.

But the team was let down mainly by their coach, Owen da Gama. The team wasn’t settled as he kept moving players around. Deolin Mekoa changed positions in all three games, just like Gift Motupa.

Da Gama persisted with Menzi Masuku, who struggled from the first match while Brazil-based Tyroane Sandows warmed the bench.

If the coach had been bold, this team could have reached the quarter-finals. He used players out of position rather than fielding specialists in those areas.

But it wasn’t all doom and gloom.

This tournament showed just how good things can be if everyone works together.

This team qualified for the Olympics because the Premier Soccer League (PSL) supported them. It was unlike previous campaigns when coaches struggled to get players as clubs weren’t obliged to release them with the league in full swing.

The league went on a break late last year so Da Gama can have the best players at his disposal. They qualified for the showpiece event by finishing third in the Eight Nations in Senegal.

The 2016/17 season will start a week late because it was accommodating their Olympic campaign so as to eliminate the need for teams to refuse to release players.

It’s something that should happen often, where the nation’s interest is put first.

The South African Football Association (Safa) was also smart to send the Under-23s to play in the Cosafa Cup as preparation for the Olympics. That tournament boosted their confidence while they gave the country its fourth Cosafa Cup title. They should do this often with the Cosafa Cup because it’s pointless to send a strong Bafana Bafana team.

For starters, that’s not possible because clubs will refuse to release some of their players. Clubs want them to rest after a hectic season.

That leaves the coach scrambling for players. He ends up picking people with no future in the national team simply because they’re available.

The Cosafa Cup should be used as a stepping stone to the senior national team. If the Under-20 national team doesn’t qualify for the World Cup in South Korea from May 20 to June 11, they should be sent to next year’s Cosafa Cup. The two tournaments play around the same time and will help them in their growth.

As a country, we should start looking at the bigger picture. What good will it do to have the Itumeleng Khunes playing or winning the Cosafa Cup? But for the Mondli Mpotos, it would be great motivation and a valuable learning experience.

It’s the same with the African Nations Championship (CHAN). We should ask ourselves: What is it that we want to get out of the tournament? Yes, winning would be nice. But what’s the bigger picture? How many CHAN winners do you remember? Take your time, I have all day.

CHAN and Cosafa Cup competitions should be used to give young players the competitive edge. After all, it’s the Africa Cup of Nations that defines success on the continent. Using these tournaments as a launchpad will ensure that by the time players break into the senior national team set-up, they are accustomed to the demands.

It would help cut down the number of players who play for their country for the first time at 26 years or older.

At the moment, that’s a regular occurrence, but if we change how we do things, that would be rare. It’s all about good planning.

We won’t have to wait for 15 years before we have a team at the Olympics, as we did with this generation, if the PSL and Safa continue to put the country first.

Saturday Star