Bafana Bafana coach Pitso Mosimane has applauded the South African Under-20 men’s national team after they won back-to-back COSAFA U20 Men’s Championships this past weekend.
Coach Raymond Mdaka’s charges beat hosts Mozambique 2-1 in the final of the CAF Under-20 Africa Cup of Nations | COSAFA Qualifier to maintain their dominance in the regional tournament. Amajita returned to South Africa with an armful of silverware on Monday and were welcomed by South African Football Association (SAFA) President Dr Danny Jordaan and NEC member Job Mchunu. The SA U20s have in the process also qualified for the prestigious U20 AFCON.
Coach Mosimane said Mdaka has done very well and the SA Under-20 team’s continuing success means that the South African football programmes are working.
“What we are doing is very, very good. Congratulations to coach Raymond. He has repeatedly taken the team forward, put the team up there and also given us the foundation for the SA Under-23s and to Bafana-Bafana. He said, look at what we have, and what is coming,” he said.
Dr Jordaan said credit should be given to the players and the technical team after adding more accolades to the trophy cabinet. “This is a credit to the coach and the wonderful players that we have. They really showed us that they are the best in Southern Africa and now they are going to Ghana 2027,” the SAFA President said.
South Africa left the tournament without defeat – a repeat of the last edition – winning all their five matches against Lesotho (3-0), Angola (2-0), Eswatini (2-0), Zambia (4-2) and Mozambique (2-1). The regional champions scored 13 and conceded three, leading to Amajita shot stopper, Takalani Mazhamba, to be named the Goalkeeper of the Tournament.
Prolific Amajita marksman Steven Mendes claimed the Top Goal Scorer Award after finishing with six strikes and ahead of Mozambique’s Alirio Cuna, who scored five.
