Amajita coach Mdaka confident ahead of U-20 World Cup despite poor preparation

Amajita coach Raymond Mdaka says their preparations for the 2025 Fifa Under-20 World Cup in Chile have been far from ideal, but he is not too worried about the conditioning of his players. 

Mdaka is taking a group of talented players to Chile, including the core of the team that won the U-20 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt in May. Among them are Fletcher Lowe, Tylon Smith, Neo Rapoo, Patrick Autata, Kutlwano Lethlaku, Siviwe Magidigidi, Mfundo Vilakazi and Langelihle Phili, who will not have question marks about match fitness because they have been playing regularly for their clubs. 

South Africa will look for a positive start in their tough Group E clash against France at Estadio El Teniente in Rancagua on Monday (10pm SA time) before they turn their attention to minnows New Caledonia on October 3 (1am) and the US on October 5 (10am). 

Some teams have arrived in Chile, where they have been involved in friendly games ahead of Sunday's start, but Amajita only leave the country on Tuesday after a lean preparation period. 

“With regards to conditioning, the advantage we have is most players are playing for their teams and that is going to help us a lot,” Mdaka said at a farewell dinner at Southern Sun Hyde Park on Monday night. 

“In terms of preparations in the form of a camp, we did not have that but we are not complaining. Let's [make] do with what we have because we would have loved to play an international friendly with a team similar to what we are going to play against there but it did not happen. 

“Conditioning-wise we might miss [some things] here and there, but we are not far from where we want to be.” 

While confident his team will overcome their imperfect preparation, Mdaka is in the dark about talented Mamelodi Sundowns defender Thato Sibiya, who was yet to link up with his teammates in camp ahead of their departure. 

“One would not want to discuss it because of how we receive treatment from other teams. Even now [on Monday night] we are not sure whether we are going with him to the tournament.

“The challenge is once we register a player at Fifa, the issue of deregistering and replacing players is through medical reasons. These are some of the challenges we are faced with but we are crossing fingers we will have 21 players. 

“If his team does not want to release a player, they must write a letter and we take it to Fifa as proof they don’t want to release him. He was in the squad list for the tournament.” 

Mdaka said if Amajita are able to receive permission from Fifa for the withdrawal of Sibiya, they have enough players on stand-by to replace him. 

“We have a pool of 35 players we have submitted to Fifa and if we meet the requirements for replacing him, we will be able to do that.”