‘They showed they are the African champions’: Mdaka lauds Amajita heroes

Amajita coach Raymond Mdaka hailed the unity that sees his players perform and fight as a team, the attribute that has taken them to being Cosafa and African champions and to the last 16 of the Fifa U-20 World Cup.

It took all the togetherness, grit and fight — shown before when Mdaka’s side became the first South African U-20 Africa Cup of Nations winners in May — playing without possession against odds-on favourites the US but tenaciously carving out a 2-1 win on Sunday.

The Americans came into the game having thrashed New Caledonia 9-1 and seen off France 3-0.

The result at Estadio El Teniente in Rancagua, Chile, saw Amajita (six points) end second to the US in Group E on goal difference (+10 to +5) and above France (six points, +4). Mdaka’s team progress to meet Colombia in their last 16 clash at Estadio Fiscal de Talca in Talca, 255km south of the capital Santiago, on Wednesday (4.30pm in Chile, 9.30pm SA time).

“Let me congratulate the boys. They did a very good job, they showed character, they showed they are the African champions,” Mdaka said.

“Playing the US, who had won two games with a number of goals, looked like it was a mountain to climb. We agreed as a team to say, ‘Let’s show what we can do as a team’.

“I’m happy because we showed the character. When you see the score at the end of the first half [2-1] and you need to play the second half, [it’s not easy] where you have to maintain and manage the game under pressure.

“They [US] would come [at us], of course, but we were able to manage the game tactically and character is always very important for a team.

“Credit to the boys, to the technical team, the support staff and everybody because the atmosphere always gives the boys energy to go, and we are into the knockout stage.”

The US came out all confidence and would have believed they were well in control when Noah Cobb headed them into the lead from a free kick in the 13th minute.

Amajita showed they were not going to lie down as a pacey attack forced an equaliser via Joshua Wynder’s own goal in the 18th.

The US had 57% possession and 228 completed passes in the first half, Amajita 34% and 122, but excellent defending in a back four marshalled by Tylon Smith — plus goalkeeper Fletcher Smythe-Lowe’s stops, which were a feature throughout the game — kept the Americans at bay. Three minutes into first-half added time Gomolemo Kekana put South Africa ahead from another move stemming from their dangerous pace in attack.

The US piled on the pressure in the opening half-hour of the second half but when they could not breach South Africa’s defence and Smythe-Lowe’s saves Amajita ended with more strong chances of their own.

Obviously you have your first goal, which is to go beyond the group stage. The next match is different because you will not play for a draw but for the result. We’ll try, we’ll continue with the same spirit and show we are South Africa and here to compete.

—  Raymond Mdaka

Mdaka said the unity in Amajita starts from the well-wishes of South Africans and is further forged by the atmosphere in the squad.

“Something I like is the support we are getting from home. It shows we are here as a country.

“The unity that prevails in the team, all of us work together. In Cosafa it was brilliant, at Afcon brilliant, again here we are showing the character a national team is supposed to have. We are together and we’ll push even in the next game.

“Obviously you have your first goal, which is to go beyond the group stage. The next match is different because you will not play for a draw but for the result. We’ll try, we’ll continue with the same spirit and show we are South Africa and here to compete.”

South Africa lost 2-1 against France in their Group E opener then thrashed whipping boys New Caledonia 5-0.

The Bleuets’ 6-0 thrashing of New Caledonia on Sunday left them one goal short of South Africa on goal difference. France progressed as the strongest of four best third-placed finishers.