Gabriel Amato embraces Cape Town City promotion push despite missing top-flight football

Gabriel Amato has admitted he misses playing in the top flight but is focused on helping Cape Town City secure promotion from the Motsepe Foundation Championship.

The 20-year-old midfielder is regarded as one of the leading players in the new national U23 team and was named National First Division (NFD) young player of the season for 2026/2027.

Despite that recognition, Amato’s performances are receiving far less exposure than they would in the top division, with NFD matches rarely broadcast. That lack of coverage can make it more difficult for emerging players to attract wider attention.

Amato is nevertheless benefiting from regular football, something many young players in the big league do not experience.

“I love playing football so playing week in and week out is always fun, but the NFD is a tough league,” he said.

“I do miss playing in the higher league, but I am where I am and I just have to keep on plugging away for Cape Town City.”

Amato’s season has also provided an opportunity to strengthen areas of his game that may not have developed in the same way elsewhere. The physical demands of the NFD, particularly in away matches, have tested him in duels and helped improve his conditioning.

“My game has improved in the physical aspect especially because the NFD is a very physical league and there’s not too much pretty football especially away from home,” he said.

“I’m also starting to get more goals and assists into my game.”

Amato was not involved in the U20 AFCON tournament or the FIFA U20 World Cup last year, with non-availability and selection cited as the reasons. He described missing those competitions as a difficult period, but said he had since learned to accept the situation.

His immediate priorities now lie with Cape Town City and their promotion challenge, while the competition has continued to provide him with consistent playing time.

The midfielder’s experience comes as the South African junior national teams continue to make progress. They have moved on from a period when qualification for major competitions was difficult and tournament preparation was inadequate.

South Africa’s junior sides are now viewed as the opposite of that earlier picture, having developed into teams regarded as among those to watch on the continent.