Amajimbos kick off Afcon with a win
South Africa kicked off their Confederation of African Football (Caf) u17 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) campaign with a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Senegal on Thursday at the Mohammed VI Football Academy in Rabat, Morocco.
The Amajimbos, under the guidance of coach Vela Khumalo, faced a challenging start against the 2023 u17 Afcon champions, and they trailed 0-1 at halftime after Senegalese defender Cheikh Thior scored with a header from a corner kick.
Whatever Khumalo and his technical team said to the Amajimbos during the halftime break proved effective, as they returned to the field energised.
Only three minutes into the second stanza, Inganathi Simama, who plays for Mamelodi Sundowns in the Gauteng Development League (GDL), netted the equaliser for South Africa, following confirmation from the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) that the ball had indeed crossed the line.
Just seven minutes later, a long-range shot from Kaizer Chiefs’ Reotshepile Malete deflected off Senegal’s goal scorer, Thior, into his own net, which proved decisive.
Senegal fought relentlessly to level the scores, and the drama was heightened late in the game when two potential goals were disallowed for offside in the final 20 minutes.
Ultimately, the contest ended in a 2-1 victory for Khumalo’s team, who defended exceptionally well in the second half to maintain their lead.
Despite the loss, Cheikh Dieng of Senegal was named the Man of the Match for his contributions. He pressured Amajimbos, particularly in the second half, forcing the South Africans to turn over possession. However, the 2023 Afcon winners were unable to conjure up an equaliser.
In a highly competitive Group D, which also includes Ghana and Algeria, it was a critical winning start for South Africa, and a 2-2 draw between the Ghanains and Algerians further helped the Amajimbos’ cause.
Theirs was a game of two halves, with Ghana going up 2-0 in the first half and Algeria striking back in the second half to claim a share of the spoils.
That draw leaves South Africa top of the group with three points.
