Gloria “Sweet 16” Hlalele believes South Africa’s Under-23 players have the potential to become future Bafana Bafana internationals and has urged the country to ensure they receive the support and protection they need.
The former Banyana Banyana captain was speaking after the SA U-23 national team drew 1-1 with Algeria in their second international friendly at Dr Petrus Molemela Stadium in Bloemfontein yesterday.
For Hlalele, the result was less important than the performance and promise shown by the young players.
“I was impressed by what I saw from these boys, who I believe are future Bafana Bafana,” said Hlalele, a pioneering figure in South African football and one of the founding members of the country’s women’s national team.
Hlalele said she was so encouraged by the display that she watched the match from beginning to end, despite rarely sitting through a full football game.
“I don’t usually watch a game of football for the entire 90 minutes because many a time I get disappointed,” she said.
“But I watched this one from start to finish… that is how much I was impressed by these boys.”
Her comments brought back memories of the SA Under-23 team of 2000, a side widely regarded as the best and most iconic in the country’s history. That team produced one of the most notable results in South African football when it defeated Brazil 3-1 at the Sydney Olympic Games.
However, Hlalele believes several members of that group were not adequately protected during their development. Matthew Booth, Siyabonga Nomvethe, Aaron Mokoena and Quinton Fortune were among the players she identified as examples.
Despite the lack of protection she referred to, all four went on to represent Bafana Bafana.
“We must not make the same mistake with these boys,” said Hlalele, who captained the national team and played as a striker during her career.
Hlalele led her squads to international success, including victory at the 1993 Gothia Cup, where she was named Player of the Tournament.
Her appeal comes as the current SA U-23 team continues its international programme against Algeria, with the 1-1 draw following the side’s second friendly against the North Africans. While the outcome did not concern Hlalele as much as the development of the players, she believes the performances have offered an encouraging indication of what the group could contribute to Bafana Bafana in the future.
