South Africa’s Amajita have added another trophy to their growing collection after edging Mozambique 2–1 in the COSAFA U20 Championship final on Sunday.
The victory was built on a combination of attacking quality, composure and resilience as Raymond Mdaka’s side overcame a determined Mozambique team to retain the regional title.
Amajita made the perfect start when Oarabile Booysen opened the scoring in the 27th minute. The University of Pretoria loanee produced a superb long-range effort that gave the Mozambique goalkeeper little chance.
Mozambique responded almost immediately, however, with Martinho Começar restoring parity just two minutes later.
The equaliser did little to unsettle South Africa, who continued to look for openings after the interval. Their persistence was rewarded eight minutes into the second half when Emile Witbooi was brought down inside the penalty area.
Steven Mendes took responsibility from the spot and calmly converted to put Amajita back in front.
The final then took another turn when Mozambique were reduced to 10 men. Defender Militao received a straight red card following a VAR review after an incident involving Mendes.
With the numerical advantage, South Africa focused on managing the remainder of the contest rather than taking unnecessary risks. Mdaka’s players held their shape and defended their advantage until the final whistle.
The triumph caps an important period for Amajita. Their run to the COSAFA title follows their qualification