The Under-20 national team is eager to join a couple of South African sides that have done well on the continent this year.
Raymond Mdaka’s boys have two crucial matches in the Caf Africa Cup of Nations this week in Egypt to make it to the last eight of the tournament.
Doing well against Sierra Leone and Zambia will boost Amajita’s chances of being one of the four teams that will eventually represent Africa at the Fifa U20 World Cup in Chile later this year.
Mdaka told the Sunday Times from Egypt this week that winning their Group A match against Sierra Leone on Tuesday would make qualifying for the quarterfinals a little easier. “We don’t want to go to our last group match against Zambia (on Friday) still desperate for points to make the last eight,” said the coach, whose team lost 1-0 to the hosts Egypt in the first match but bounced back on Wednesday to beat Tanzania 1-0 from a Shakeel April goal.
“Our victory against Tanzania was crucial and it boosted the morale of the team after playing so well against Egypt, hitting the posts a couple of times but still losing the match. The boys now believe that we could be one of the best teams to represent South Africa at this level.”
With all the five teams capable of winning, Group A is still wide open, and may only become clear who are likely to progress after Tuesday’s matches when Zambia take on Tanzania.
Amajita have an advantage in that they would have rested at least five days by Tuesday when they face Sierra Leone who beat Egypt 4-1 on Wednesday before facing Tanzania yesterday.
“I hope it works in our favour that Sierra Leone will face us having had just three days to recuperate. If we can keep the ball better than we did against Tanzania we should get a positive result on Tuesday,” said Mdaka.
He said Amajita were aware of the good results teams like Bafana Bafana, Mamelodi Sundowns, Orlando Pirates, Stellenbosch FC and U17 have had on the continent this year, and don’t want to be ones to spoil the party. “It’s been a remarkable year for South African football, and we already have Sundowns in the final of the Champions League. That really encourages my boys. It gives us belief that we can also do well.”
It’s not been an easy journey for Mdaka, a former Marumo Gallants coach, to guide Amajita in this event after not getting all the players he wanted for the tournament.
Pirates defender Mbekezeli Mbokazi and midfielder Shandre Campbell of Club Brugge in Belgium could not join Amajita in Egypt as their clubs needed their services at this crucial time of the season. Sundowns attacking midfielder Siyabonga Mabena was joined on the injury list by his teammate Asekho Tiwani who suffered a knee injury in the opening game against the hosts. “We’ve had to soldier on,” said Mdaka.
“Those four players were key to our plans, but this team showed against Tanzania that it’s not about the individuals. We’re a team and every player who’s here with me is key to this team. We’ll do our best for the country.”
This is the fifth time Amajita appear at the U20 Afcon after their best performance in 1997, when Shakes Mashaba’s team had the likes of Benni McCarthy, Delron Buckley, Stanton Fredericks, Nkiphitheni Matombo and Matthew Booth, and finished as runners-up to hosts Morocco.
Amajita qualified for the World Cup in 1997, 2009, 2017 and 2019, but only Serame Letsoaka’s team in 2009 made it beyond the group stages.
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