Canaan Mdletshe
Canaan Mdletshe
Former Moroka Swallows defender Gary McNab and ex-Orlando Pirates' midfielder Clinton Larsen have been included in a 10-member squad to represent South Africa in a two-day Vodacom Pro Beach Soccer Tour.
The tour starts on Thursday on Durban's beachfront and teams from Brazil, England and France will be taking part.
McNab and Larsen join Mark Williams (captain), Fani Shange, Gary Johnson, Philani Gumede, Siyabonga Mbatha, Thando Mthembu, Jury Mtwa and Ronny de Melo.
Announcing the team, coach Marcelo Mendes said he decided to mix youngsters with experienced players. He said he was preparing a team for the future, and players such as Williams, McNab and Larsen have given the squad some stability, which has allowed the youngsters to express themselves.
"There are six players from the young squad which did duty for South Africa at the Fifa Beach World Cup qualifiers earlier this year," said Mendes.
But the introduction of Larsen, McNab, and Ronny de Melo will give the team a core of older heads and I decided to include the exciting Jury Mtwa."
The two goalkeepers are Johnson and teenager Mbatha, who shared the goalkeeping duties during the qualifiers.
McNab and Larsen have turned out for the national field soccer team, while De Melo is an experienced Brazilian who holds a South African passport.
Meanwhile, hundreds of schoolchildren have turned out for a development programme taking place at the beachfront from November 30 until December 9.
Every week seven local coaches trained and supervised by Mendes and four other Brazilian beach soccer coaches run daily clinics.
Larsen, McNab in SA team
Canaan Mdletshe
Canaan Mdletshe
Former Moroka Swallows defender Gary McNab and ex-Orlando Pirates' midfielder Clinton Larsen have been included in a 10-member squad to represent South Africa in a two-day Vodacom Pro Beach Soccer Tour.
The tour starts on Thursday on Durban's beachfront and teams from Brazil, England and France will be taking part.
McNab and Larsen join Mark Williams (captain), Fani Shange, Gary Johnson, Philani Gumede, Siyabonga Mbatha, Thando Mthembu, Jury Mtwa and Ronny de Melo.
Announcing the team, coach Marcelo Mendes said he decided to mix youngsters with experienced players. He said he was preparing a team for the future, and players such as Williams, McNab and Larsen have given the squad some stability, which has allowed the youngsters to express themselves.
"There are six players from the young squad which did duty for South Africa at the Fifa Beach World Cup qualifiers earlier this year," said Mendes.
But the introduction of Larsen, McNab, and Ronny de Melo will give the team a core of older heads and I decided to include the exciting Jury Mtwa."
The two goalkeepers are Johnson and teenager Mbatha, who shared the goalkeeping duties during the qualifiers.
McNab and Larsen have turned out for the national field soccer team, while De Melo is an experienced Brazilian who holds a South African passport.
Meanwhile, hundreds of schoolchildren have turned out for a development programme taking place at the beachfront from November 30 until December 9.
Every week seven local coaches trained and supervised by Mendes and four other Brazilian beach soccer coaches run daily clinics.