“This is a great moment and a big achievement,” is how the Under-17 men’s national team coach, Vela Khumalo described qualifying for this year’s FIFA Under-17 World Cup in Qatar.
Amajimbos secured a place in the World Cup despite a 2-0 loss to Burkina Faso Sunday, but the result had no bearing on the final standings as they qualified for the World Cup and the quarterfinals of AFCON.
The team went into the match against Burkina Faso after having dominated Egypt winning by 4-3 and held Cameroon to a goalless draw.
Their victory saw them finishing as runners-up in Group B, with four points.
Meanwhile, Khumalo thanked the team and everyone who backed them in their World Cup qualification campaign.
“I made it clear more than anything else we wanted to qualify for the World Cup, so, it is a mission accomplished.
I am very excited and delighted despite this last result, where I think we still played well.
We did not convert our chances, and we need to be a little bit more aggressive and direct.
I’m happy, so happy for the boys and I’m happy for myself,” Khumalo remarked.
Congratulatory messages continue to pour in from fans, wishing the team luck and placing hope on their capabilities to bring the trophy home.
