Amajimbos crashed out of the Fifa Under-17 World Cup after they were thrashed 3-0 by Japan in a last-32 match At Aspire Zone (pitch 3), Bader Bilal in Doha, Qatar, on Saturday.
The South Africans had reached the knockout round after collecting four points in the group stages after their 3-1 victory over Bolivia and earning a gallant 0-0 draw against the hosts Qatar before suffering a 3-1 loss against Italy.
The scoreline was a true reflection of the match as the Japanese took the match away from the South Africans with a strong second half that was accompanied by three beautifully-taken goals by Ritoro Asada, Minato Yoshida and Shota Fujii.
Coach Vela Khumalo’s team had matched the Japanese in the first 45 minutes and could have taken a lead through some of the chances they created, but the second half was a different ball game as the Japanese upped the ante.
Amajimbos were punished within the first three minutes of the restart when Tumi Mothapo left a huge gap on the left side of their defence. It was on that side that Asada was fed a good cross which he needed three shots to finish after Lwandiso Radebe, in Amajimbos’ goals, had made two brilliant blocks before he was finally beaten.
Radebe had to leave the pitch injured just after conceding this goal but his replacement Keabetswe Morake was in no position to stop Yoshida’s shot just a few minutes after entering the fray.
As the South Africans were trying to cancel Japan’s lead they were more exposed at the back and that led to them conceding the third goal when they could not defend a corner kick, leaving Fujii to thump in the third strike after he was unmarked.
Amajimbos started slowly in this match with the Japanese pinning them in their own half, but after 15 minutes Khumalo’s charges started to come out of their shells.
It was Amajimbos striker Neo Bohloko who got most of Amajimbos’ chances and was very close to opening the score after an exchange of passes with his strike partner Emile Witbooi who scored Amajimbos’ opening goal in this tournament when they defeated Bolivia.
Bohloko of Kaizer Chiefs was unlucky to be denied by the Japanese goalkeeper Ethan Scally from close range just after 30 minutes.
Japan did have some good chances in the first 45 minutes but South Africa’s defence stood firm, especially with Mothapo denying Daigo Hirashima just as he was about to pull the trigger inside the area. Amajimbos goalkeeper Radebe was also beaten by two headers from Asada and Anthony Motosuna but the upright came to his rescue on both those occasions when his defence was caught napping.
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