Amajita head coach Raymond Mdaka has emphasised the importance of staying focused ahead of their semi-final clash against Zambia in the CAF U-20 AFCON COSAFA qualifiers on Friday.
South Africa secured their spot in the last four after maintaining a flawless record, claiming three wins from three matches in the group stage of the competition currently underway in Mozambique.
The Mdaka-led side wrapped up their Group B campaign with a 2-0 victory over Eswatini at the ABB 1 Stadium on Wednesday.
Ahead of the encounter against Eswatini, Mdaka made several adjustments to his starting line-up to refresh the squad. He handed starts to Milimo Nalumango, Sanele Simelane, Joshua Taylor, Kgomotso Madiba, Will Henson, and Ukhonaye Magele, resting Matthew Palmer, Teboho Lekhatla, Emile Witbooi, Oarabile Booysen, Steven Mendes, and Teboho Mlangeni.
Only Takalani Mazhamba, Egan Freese, Cayden Fortune, Lazola Maku, and Manelis Mazibuko retained their places from the previous victory over Angola.
The win ensured Amajita finished top of Group B with maximum points [nine], having scored seven goals without conceding a single goal in the tournament so far.
WHY RAYMOND MDAKA ROTATED AMAJITA’S LINEUP AGAINST ESWATINI
Speaking to SAFA Media after the victory over Eswatini, Mdaka explained the reasoning behind the rotation, citing minor injury concerns and player development.
“We made changes because we had some minor injuries and we wanted the players to recover, but also this is a junior tournament, and we sometimes test and give others a chance,” Mdaka said.
“We rested some players from the team that we normally play, thinking it would be the same performance we always play, but it was not like that. I think we should have scored a number of goals if we were not relaxing on the opportunities that we got.”
RAYMOND MDAKA LOOKS AHEAD TO THE DECISIVE ZAMBIA CLASH
Amajita are scheduled to lock horns with Zambia on Friday, 25 September at the ABB 1 Stadium, with kick-off set for 16:00.
“I hope it’s going to be a very good game. This is the decider for qualifying, and it needs full focus and commitment of the players,” added the coach.
South Africa are aiming for a top-two finish in Mozambique to seal qualification for the 2027 U-20 AFCON in Ghana. A top-four finish at the continental tournament in Ghana will subsequently earn them a spot at the FIFA U-20 World Cup, which will be co-hosted by Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan.
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