Full List of Selected Players.
By: Refilwe Sebola
The SAFA Mopani region took a major step in youth football development on Sunday as they concluded their U15 regional squad selections at a packed Nkowankowa Stadium.
Young talents from all five Local Football Associations (LFAs) under the Mopani region—Ba-Phalaborwa, Greater Tzaneen, Greater Letaba, Maruleng, and Greater Giyani—competed fiercely for a place in the final team.
The selection panel was led by head coach Peace Khosa, assisted by Tshepo Sebopetsa, who both praised the high level of skill, discipline, and commitment displayed by the youngsters throughout the trials.
After hours of intense evaluation, 20 players were chosen to represent Mopani at the provincial trials scheduled for this Sunday in Polokwane. From these provincial trials, successful players will go on to represent the Limpopo Province in next year’s Talent Development Scheme (TDS) Interprovincial Tournament, one of the country’s key pipelines for identifying future national-team prospects.
The breakdown of the selected players reflects the rich footballing talent across Mopani: Nine players – Greater Tzaneen; Three players – Greater Letaba; Three players – Greater Giyani; Three players – Maruleng and two players – Ba-Phalaborwa.
Coach Khosa expressed confidence in the squad, saying the region is “sending a strong, balanced group capable of competing at the highest level.” I think one or two can represent the province” . Assistant coach Sebopetsa echoed the sentiment, highlighting the players’ hunger and discipline as major strengths going into the next phase.