The South African Football Association (SAFA) has congratulated the U20 men’s national team, Amajita, after the team qualified for the U20 FIFA World Cup.
This after they beat the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) 1-0 in the quarterfinals of the U20 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) tournament in Egypt to advance to the semifinals.
The win ensured that the team booked their ticket to the Cup which will be played in Chile in September this year.
“This is another momentous occasion. It comes so soon after we qualified for the 2025 African Nations Championship (CHAN) on Sunday, and the FIFA U17 World Cup to be held in Qatar from 3–27 November 2025,” said SAFA President, Dr Danny Jordaan, who attributed the milestone to the team’s hard work.
Amajita’s solitary goal was scored by substitute striker Thabang Mahlangu in extra time, following a tough match in their knockout stage.
Both teams wasted golden opportunities to finish the game on scheduled time, before it headed to extra-time.
U20 Coach Raymond Mdaka, said they had to dig deep in their preparations, as they were aware that it was not going to be an easy game, as all the teams wanted to qualify for the World Cup.
“We used almost everything that we thought we had, technically, tactically, physically and the character.
“You could see they had a very good plan for us, but we were fortunate not to concede in the first half and in the second half.
“We sorted it out and then we at least came back and were able to get a goal and protect the goal,” said Mdaka.
