Luther Singh does not feel the pressure of being the young man expected to score goals for Amajita at the Under-20 World Cup‚ and plays down any comparisons between himself and Benni McCarthy.
Singh‚ the reserve team player for Sporting Braga in Portugal‚ was the joint-top scorer on four goals at the Caf U-20 Africa Cup of Nations in Zambia where South Africa finished fourth to reach the U-20 World Cup in South Korea.
Amajita kick off their tournament against Japan in Suwon on Sunday‚ and Singh’s scoring exploits‚ also finishing top scorer with five goals at the 2016 Cosafa U-20 Cup in Rustenburg‚ will see him earmarked as the player to score for South Africa in Korea.
- Amajita coach Senong expects tough workout from Costa Rica ahead of World Cup South Africa’s Under-20 team left for their final preparation camp in South Korea ahead of the Fifa U-20 World Cup with just one warm-up international friendly confirmed against Costa Rica.
The 19-year-old from Noordgesig in Soweto added to those credentials bagging another goal as Amajita beat Costa Rica 2-1 in a warm-up friendly in Gapyeong on Tuesday.
“I know people expect me to perform‚ but it’s something that I just have to do. As an individual I’d like to perform at the World Cup as well as I did in Zambia‚” Singh said.
“I’m not putting any pressure on myself – it’s the same as when I went into Zambia and into the Cosafa.
“I know that I will play the football that I can play‚ and give my best to represent the country‚ and to make the country proud.”
- Amajita departs to Under-20 World Cup in South Korea without three key playersThe national Under-20 team left for South Korea on Wednesday without Phakamani Mahlambi‚ Teboho Mokoena and Reeve Frosler.
There have inevitably been comparisons in style of play between Singh and Benni McCarthy.
McCarthy‚ too‚ was a top scorer at the African U-20 Championship in 1997 and he played at that year's U-20 World Cup. The now retired Bafana Bafana all-time top scorer also played in Portugal with Porto‚ with whom he won the Uefa Champions League.
“I prefer personally not to see them‚ because Benni is Benni and I am following in my own footsteps‚” Singh said of the comparisons.
“He’s the big man and he’s achieved a lot – he’s a legend for South Africa. So those are big shoes to fit and I’m not comparing myself to him.
“I’m just carving out my own footsteps.”
- Senong believes the future of SA football is bright as he prepares for Under-20 World CupThe national Under-20 coach Thabo Senong believes that the country has a bright future with the growing number of youngsters who are plying their trade abroad.
Amajita are drawn with Asian U-20 champions Japan‚ South American champions Uruguay and European champions Italy‚ surely making them the overwhelming underdogs of Group D.
“It doesn’t intimidate us‚ it motivates us. Because we know we’re going into the tournament as the underdogs‚” Singh said.
“The other teams‚ because they have won and already had success‚ they have pressure on their shoulders because they have to keep their standards.
“For us‚ we’ll just improve our game. We know what we’ll be up for. And we’ve prepared well. This is something that we’ve been waiting for.”
- TMG Digital/TMG Sport
Just R20 for the first month. Support independent journalism by subscribing to our digital news package. 