Former Amajita assistant coach Reneilwe Letsholonyane has offered his assessment of the SA Under-20 team’s chances of success as they head into the knockout stage of the 2025 FIFA U-20 World Cup in Chile.
The U-20 FIFA World Cup tournament commenced on the 27th of September and will come to an end on the 19th of October 2025.
Amajita secured a spot in the World Cup by advancing to the semi-finals of the 2025 CAF U-20 AFCON tournament hosted in Egypt. Raymond Mdaka’s team went on to clinch the AFCON title for the first time, defeating Morocco in the final.
Carrying the spirit of African champions, Amajita secured their place in the Round of 16 at the FIFA U-20 World Cup after a crucial 2-1 victory over the USA in Rancagua on Sunday night. The result saw the South Africans finish second in a challenging Group E, earning an impressive six points from their three matches against the USA, New Caledonia, and France.
LETSHOLONYANE ASSESSES AMAJITA’S ROUND OF 16 CHANCES
According to ‘Yeye’ Letsholonyane, Amajita’s motivation is sky-high as they pursue further success on the global stage. The former assistant coach suggests the team is fueled both by their recent U-20 AFCON title and a burning desire to make history in the World Cup knockout rounds.
“Well, we have a good team. I mean, we have seen that they did well to become the champions of Africa [U-20 AFCON],” said Letsholonyane in an interview with FARPost.
“We have a good technical team that knows exactly what they are doing, obviously headed by coach Raymond Mdaka. So, we have the capability to do well in the World Cup.
“The preparations for the World Cup were carried out well. So, I’m pretty sure that we are ready to compete against other big nations in the world and make South Africans proud.”
Meanwhile, Amajita will face Colombia in the Round of 16 of the World Cup on Wednesday, 8 October 2025. This showdown will be played at Estadio Fiscal de Talca, with the kick-off set for 21:30 [SA time].
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