Former Ajax Cape Town striker Nathan Paulse believes South Africa’s Under-20s did the nation proud at the World Cup in Chile, but their lack of physical strength exposed a deeper flaw in local player development.
Amajita offered a brave account of themselves at the FIFA U-20 World Cup in Chile, losing 2-1 to France, thumping New Caledonia 5-0, edging a second-string USA side 2-1, and eventually bowing out 3-1 to Colombia in the last-16.
Many observers felt the side lacked physical power, a concern shared by former Ajax Cape Town striker and youth development expert Nathan Paulse, who now mentors young players at Hout Bay United FC.
“When it comes to seeing exactly what the differences were, for example, the first game against France, it was clear the physical profiles were different,” Paulse told FARPost. “The only three players from us who would fit into that French team were the goalkeeper [Fletcher] Smythe-Lowe, the centre back [Tylon] Smith and the striker [Siviwe] Magidigidi.”
PAULSE SAYS PHYSICAL DEFICIT & FLAIR OBSESSION HOLDING BACK SA FOOTBALL
Paulse believes South African football has leaned too heavily on flair for far too long. “We over-focus on the technical part of the game,” he said. “Yes, we have a natural flair from the kasi, but at a certain point, it’s resulted in a stubborn refusal to accept what the global game asks of the modern player.”
Still, he credited coach Raymond Mdaka and his squad for their effort. “But take nothing away from the team. I think they did very well with the available resources and personnel. I don’t know what other players were in the selection pool. But you must applaud coach Raymond Mdaka for setting up the team. I would love to know the physical profile of other players he wanted and how they would fit into the team.”
Looking forward, Paulse says SA youth coaches need to model their approach on the senior national team. “Should we not be profiling the kind of football that Hugo Broos is playing? The type of players he is selecting and use it as a template for all our junior national teams,” he argued.
The 43-year-old insists the modern game demands a full package. “Natural flair is not enough to compete globally,” he warned. “The physical profile of a player is equally important. The mental side of a player is equally important. Gone are the days of thinking a highly technical team is enough.”
And then came his strongest message: “Continuing to push that false narrative to players, academies, and parents will set us up for failure on the world stage.”
Paulse, who now works as an individual transformational coach, helps players bridge the gap between youth and professional football. At Hout Bay United, he also leads the club’s academy and coach development programmes, guiding the next wave of South African talent to combine flair with physical power for global readiness.
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