Amajita mentor Vela Khumalo is unfazed by the COSAFA Cup semifinal opponents Mozambique, who he claims to have seen much of them.
South Africa’s Under-20 will take on Mozambique in the regional tournament semis on Friday in Eswatini.
Khumalo’s charges cruised their way into the last four after crashing Comoros 4-0 on Wednesday.
KHUMALO SPEAKS…
“This team is a work in progress and I think we are gaining momentum as the tournament progresses. I am happy with the way things are going,” Khumalo told SAFA media.
“It is a case of us playing our normal football with the intention of winning, instead of chasing the game with an eye on results elsewhere.
“In this case, we prepared thoroughly and took the game to Comoros. I think we are up for the challenge.”
However, Khumalo reckons that they have been monitoring their opponents’ style of play, and they will go back to do their homework to add to what they have seen from the defending champions.
If Amajita wins their semi-final encounter, they will qualify for the 2023 Under-20 AFCON due to be held in Egypt, which is one of Khumalo’s goals.
KHUMALO’S PLAN
“We need to get past this stage [COSAFA competition] and qualify for the AFCON in Egypt next year. Then I will be happy, it is the plan.
“And it will help us forget about all the challenges we had to face,” divulged in an interview with the South African football governing body.
Reflecting on their game against Comoros, Khumalo said: “It was one of those tricky games where we were playing for goals.
“We started the tournament very slowly and put ourselves under unnecessary duress, however, we got the result we wanted and we hope we will do well in the next game.”
