Amajita begin steps towards World Cup in Nelspruit

Amajita have stepped up their preparations for the Africa Under-20 Cup of Nations in Niger next month with a four-day training camp in Nelspruit.

Coach Thabo Senong took the team to the quiet surroundings of the Ingwenyama Lodge in White River so that there is little distraction to prepare for this tournament that also doubles as the 2019 Fifa U-20 World Cup qualifier.

The top four teams at the U-20 Afcon qualify for the the World Cup‚ which takes place in Poland from May 23 to June 15.

After their first training session in Nelspruit‚ Senong said he was pleased with how his players reacted and applied themselves in game situations and the various challenges that the technical team gave them.

“I am very happy with how our first session went here in Mpumalanga‚” he said.

“The boys were fully focused and they grasped every bit of information we imparted on them. And that is very good because team chemistry is very important if you are to get the best out of your players.

“We worked on a few tactical plays and you could tell by how they were training that they are willing to learn and improve from the level they are currently in.”

Amajita are in Group A alongside hosts Niger‚ Burundi and Nigeria at next month’s eight-team Afcon‚ and if they progress past that stage they will qualify for the World Cup for the second time in a row since 2017.

“They really want to do well in the upcoming tournament and that is the kind if positive attitude we want from them‚” Senong said.

The coach has also arranged a practice match with the senior team of Mozambique’s professional football side Costa Do Sol‚ which he hopes can play a key role in helping his young players gauge how far they are in terms of fitness and technical abilities.