“It’s a great feeling,” reacts Kaizer Chiefs goalkeeper Luthando Sixhaso about the possibility to be between the posts when South Africa’s Under-23s face their Brazilian counterparts on Sunday, 27 March, at Maceió’s Estádio Rei Pelé (King Pelé Stadium).

The match is played ahead of the 2016 Rio Olympic Games, which will take place in August and for which the Under-23s have qualified.

Sixhaso, who is nicknamed ‘Malankane’ (the ‘Tall One’), joined Amakhosi at the beginning of this season. The 22-year-old kept goal for the last four matches of Chiefs’ MultiChoice Diski Challenge side, keeping a clean sheet in three.

“I have been working very hard over the last few months,” Sixhaso comments. “I always wanted to represent the country and now there is an opportunity to do so.”

“The Chiefs goalkeeper department never disappoints. I also get a lot of advice from my fellow ‘keepers, including from Itumeleng Khune who has been really great.”

Ajax Cape Town’s Jody February will probably be in goal at the start of the game against the Brazilians, but South Africa Under-23 coach Owen da Gama might give one of the other two ‘keepers in the squad a run in the second half.

“This is just a friendly,” Sixhaso says about the upcoming encounter against Brazil, which will kick-off at 18:30, Brazilian time (00:30, South African time, Monday morning, 28 March). “But it would be a dream come true to represent the country and, above all, to be selected later on for the squad to go to the Olympics. I just have to prove myself and continue to work hard.”

Lorenzo Gordinho has also been called up for South Africa’s Under-23 squad to face Brazil.

Several other Amakhosi players have been selected for their respective national teams next week: Itumeleng Khune, Erick Mathoho and William Twala are in the South African squad for the two 2017 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Cameroon.

Bafana Bafana will first play away at Stade Omnisports de Limbé on Saturday, 26 March (kick-off is 16:30, South African time). Accordingly, South Africa will host the Cameroonians at Durban’s Moses Mabhida Stadium on Tuesday, 29 March (kick-off is at 19:00).

Cameroon are on six points in Group M after two matches played, while South Africa have only booked a sole point so far.

Meanwhile, Willard Katsande has been called-up to represent Zimbabwe in their two qualifying fixtures against Swaziland, on respectively Friday, 25 March, and Monday, 28 March.