Amajimbos qualify for u17 FIFA World Cup
The objective has been accomplished for coach Vela Khumalo’s South African u17 national team, known as Amajimbos, after they secured qualification for the u17 FIFA World Cup, which takes place in Qatar from 3-27 November.
It is only the second time that the Amajimbos have claimed a place at the u17 World Cup. They previously made the global showcase in 2015, in Chile, under the guidance of coach Molefi Ntseki.
Under Khumalo’s leadership, the team finished second in Group B at the ongoing Confederation of African Football (CAF) u17 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Morocco.
Burkina Faso topped the group standings after winning their three group matches against South Africa, Cameroon, and Egypt.
On Sunday, Amajimbos went down to a 0-2 defeat against Burkina Faso. Although South Africa dominated much of the game, they failed to capitalise on their opportunities, which proved to be a source of frustration.
Conversely, Burkina Faso effectively converted their limited chances into goals. Underlining South Africa’s misfortune was a missed penalty in the first half, which could have altered the game’s outcome.
Nevertheless, despite the loss, Amajimbos picked up four points and the runner-up position in a tough group. Burkina Faso bagged a maximum haul of nine points, while Egypt finished in third after South Africa beat Cameroon, which led to their elimination from the tournament.
In the quarterfinals, South Africa will face the hosts, Morocco, who topped Group A. They meet at Stade El Bachir, in Mohammédia, on Thursday, 10 April, with the match scheduled to begin at 21:00.
After his team qualified for the u17 FIFA World Cup, a happy coach Vela Khumalo spoke with the SAFA Media team about the achievement: “Let me take this opportunity to thank each and every South African who rallied behind us,” he said. “This is a great moment and a big achievement.
“I made it clear that, more than anything else, we wanted to qualify for the World Cup, so it is mission accomplished.
I am very excited and delighted despite this last result (the defeat to Burkina Faso), where I think we still played well. We did not convert our chances and we need to be a little bit more aggressive and direct.
“I’m excited, happy, so happy for the boys, and happy for myself.”
