Amazing Amajita revel in their Afcon successes

Following their dogged victory over Morocco in the final of the Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) final, Amjita were crowned the kings of African U20 football. 

SA beat Morocco 1-0 thanks to Gomolemo Kekana’s stunning 70th-minute strike and a tenacious performance to lift their first Afcon trophy at Cairo International Stadium on Sunday.

After Bafana Bafana’s 1996 title and Banyana Banyana’s success of 2022, Amajita are only the third SA football side to be crowned continental champions.

Amajita coach Raymond Mdaka gave the DStv Diski Challenge (DDC), the Premier Soccer League’s U23 reserve league, a fair share of credit for his team’s historic triumph.

Many crucial Amajita players — such as Stellenbosch FC defender Tylon Smith, who scooped the Player of the Tournament accolade, Kekana of Mamelodi Sundowns and his teammate Thato Sibiya as well as Kaizer Chiefs’ Sifiso Timba — play in the DDC for their respective clubs.

“I salute the DDC because it made it easy for us to be able to see players weekend after weekend going to different places,” Mdaka told SABC Sports.

“Our country is so big, so if it weren’t for the DDC, we wouldn’t be able to see them. You couldn’t drive to do follow-ups on players, but through the DDC we were able to see players.

“So we salute them and we say they have done a good job for the country.”

Goalkeeper of the Tournament Fletcher Smythe-Lowe, who is on the books of Portuguese side Estoril’s U-19s, is the only player who is not locally-based in Mdaka’s squad.

The 18-year-old put up some impressive displays, especially in the semifinals against Nigeria and in the final against Morocco, where he also walked away with the Man of the Match award.

Smythe-Lowe dedicated his Man of the Match award in the final to the SA U-20 team, especially the back room staff. 

“This award is for the team. I mean, with only me and without them, we would be nowhere.

“Together we are stronger. It is nice to do my part but the real plaudits go to everyone, even the people behind the scenes; physios, doctors, fitness coaches and the players too.

“It’s amazing what we’ve been able to do.”

The South Africans, as they had in previous matches, were rewarded for their doggedness, keeping themselves in the match when Kekana opened the scoring in the 70th with a superb drive from the edge of the area, though initially the goal was overruled for offside.

The VAR check found at the moment of Lowe’s kick from goal, which was missed on the bounce by Reda  Laalaoui , Kekana was clearly played onside by Issa Habri on the near side.

With seven minutes left, Hamza Koutoune’s cross with a stretched leg from outside the right upright flew across the face but Othmane Maamma blew Morocco’s best chance for an equaliser, heading wide with Lowe stranded.

Amajita’s first success in the U20 Afcon came in their second final appearance, the first when coach Shakes Mashaba’s generation of Benni McCarthy, Matthew Booth, Junaid Hartley and Stanton Fredericks lost 1-0 to hosts Morocco in the 1997 last game, 28 years ago.

SA sealed their ticket to the U20 World Cup, to be staged in Chile from September 27 to October 19, by reaching the semifinals.