Gift Motupa and Menzi Masuku will learn from their experience of playing in Orlando Pirates' CAF Confederation Cup final 1-0 defeat against Etoile du Sahel on Sunday.
The two junior internationals left Pirates behind in Sousse yesterday to join up with the SA under-23 team campaigning in the CAF under-23 championship in Senegal.
Motupa played the 90 minutes, Pirates coach Eric Tinkler showing faith in the youngster by handing him his first Confed start in the second leg on Sunday in place of the suspended Thandani Ntshumayelo. Masuku came off the bench for Thabo Rakhale in the 71st minute.
Both players made mistakes in the final, but defender Ayanda Gcaba said they are likely to look back on the match as the first really big game of their careers, and a turning point in their learning curve as players.
"They were not regulars but the coach and technical team gave them that encouragement, and believed in them to do it in Africa," Gcaba said.
"For Gift this was his first 90 minutes in the Confed. And I think he did well, for his first time. We told him he must to just play his normal game. Don't be intimidated by these guys being big guns in Africa.
"And he coped. He might have lost a few balls here and there, but he mostly managed to play his normal game."
Motupa, Masuku boost SA following CAF loss
Gift Motupa and Menzi Masuku will learn from their experience of playing in Orlando Pirates' CAF Confederation Cup final 1-0 defeat against Etoile du Sahel on Sunday.
The two junior internationals left Pirates behind in Sousse yesterday to join up with the SA under-23 team campaigning in the CAF under-23 championship in Senegal.
Motupa played the 90 minutes, Pirates coach Eric Tinkler showing faith in the youngster by handing him his first Confed start in the second leg on Sunday in place of the suspended Thandani Ntshumayelo. Masuku came off the bench for Thabo Rakhale in the 71st minute.
Both players made mistakes in the final, but defender Ayanda Gcaba said they are likely to look back on the match as the first really big game of their careers, and a turning point in their learning curve as players.
"They were not regulars but the coach and technical team gave them that encouragement, and believed in them to do it in Africa," Gcaba said.
"For Gift this was his first 90 minutes in the Confed. And I think he did well, for his first time. We told him he must to just play his normal game. Don't be intimidated by these guys being big guns in Africa.
"And he coped. He might have lost a few balls here and there, but he mostly managed to play his normal game."
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