Mdaka Uncertain Over Sibiya’s Availability for U-20 FIFA World Cup

National under-20 coach Raymond Mdaka has raised concerns over the availability of Mamelodi Sundowns left-back Thato Sibiya ahead of the FIFA U-20 World Cup in Chile. Despite being named in the final 21-man squad, Sibiya was absent at the team’s official send-off in Hyde Park, Johannesburg, on Monday evening. The event was attended by Sports, Arts and Culture minister Gayton McKenzie.

Mdaka admitted there is uncertainty about whether Sundowns will release Sibiya in time for the squad’s departure on Tuesday. He confirmed that the matter remains unresolved but said he is still hopeful the player will be available for the tournament.

Sibiya played a key role in Amajita’s Africa Cup of Nations triumph earlier this year in Egypt, making his absence from the camp even more noticeable. However, Mdaka declined to reveal the reasons behind Sundowns’ reluctance to release the 19-year-old defender.

“There are some things one would not want to discuss, especially with how we receive treatment from other teams. Even now, we are not sure if we are going to leave with him or not,” Mdaka told the media. “The challenge is, once you register a player under FIFA, the process of de-registering should be through medical results from the doctors. These are the little challenges we are facing, but we are crossing our fingers to say we will have 21.”

Mdaka also highlighted the complications around replacing a player once the squad list has been submitted to FIFA. He explained that if a club refuses to release a player, the matter must be supported by formal communication to FIFA.

“The replacement process is a serious problem. If it’s a team that does not want to give a player, what should be done in terms of FIFA? The team should write a letter and you take that to FIFA as evidence. In terms of replacement, if it happens within their regulations, we’ve got a pool of about 35 players, so we are good at replacing any player, provided it qualifies for what FIFA wants,” Mdaka said.

Amajita will compete in Group E at the World Cup, where they face France, the USA, and New Caledonia. Their opening match is against France on Monday, a fixture that will demand the presence of all their key players, including Sibiya, if he is cleared to travel.