South Africa Under-17 head coach Duncan Crowie has included a Liverpool teenager in his 30-man provisional squad for the 2023 Algeria U-17 Africa Cup of Nations.
The tournament is set for 29 April – 19 May 2023 with South Africa placed in Group B alongside Nigeria, Morocco, and Zambia.
Gabriano Shelton, 15, plays for the Liverpool Academy and is among eight foreign-based teenagers called for the tournament.
Shelton, a right-back, was born in England to a father who served in the British army.
The young defender has previously played in Germany and Cyprus. He later joined Wigan-based Allstars before joining the Liverpool academy.
Reacting to his call-up, Shelton said he was proud to be called to the South African Under-17 squad.
“I am so proud to have been picked to represent South Africa,” he said. “The tournament is a huge event in the football calendar….. And I would like to thank God for this amazing opportunity.”
Why did Gabriano Shelton choose to play for South Africa?
Shelton’s previous expression of interest to play for the South African national team did not yield immediate responses from selectors.
According to local media, in order to make himself known to the national side, Shelton attempted to get in touch with the South African Under-17 coach, Duncan last year.
“We’ve been trying to get in contact with the SA U17 people but no joy,” he told local journalists. “I tried to make contact with coach Duncan, but he never came back to me.”
The youngster also revealed that he picked South Africa over England after witnessing the abusive treatment England players like Bukayo Saka, Marcus Rashford, and Jadon Sancho went through after they missed penalties in the Euro 2020 final.
“I thought I wanted to play for South Africa, after I saw how the players who play for England and who were born in the United Kingdom were treated after missing penalties,” he said.
Crowie is expected to announce his final AFCON squad on Saturday, 15 April 2023. His side will kick-start their campaign at the finals against Morocco on 30th April 2023.
