Amajita lifts Afcon title for the first time
Twenty-eight years after their first appearance in the final of the u20 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon), the South African National Team, known as Amajita. has captured the title of continental champion.
Midfielder Gomolemo Kekana struck from outside the box to score the title game’s only goal as South Africa beat Morocco 1-0 in Cairo, on Sunday.
In their only previous appearance in the final, in 1997, it was the Moroccans who beat South Africa.
After dominating the first half, Amajita netted the winning goal in the second half. Only their decision-making in the final third prevented South Africa from taking a lead before the break, but they were in control of the game.
There was a brief moment of concern when the winning goal was initially disallowed due to an offside call. However, after a brief review by the Video Assistant Referee (VAR), the decision was overturned.
Morocco displayed moments of exceptional skill in the first half, with Fletcher Symthe-Lowe, in goal, keeping the North Africans at bay with some outstanding stops. His contribution was recognised when he earned the Man of the Match award.
In his post-match remarks, Symthe-Lowe aptly stated: “Together we are stronger,” highlighting the unity and sportsmanship by Amajita throughout the tournament, which were two of the keys to their success.
Smythe-Lowe was, furthermore, named the Goalkeeper of the Tournament, thanks to his 24 impressive saves and his role in keeping three clean sheets for Amajita, including one in the final. Additionally, he provided an assist to Gomolemo Kekana for South Africa’s goal in the title game.
Tylon Smith, another standout, excelled not only in the final but throughout the tournament. He was accorded the Man of the Competition/Best Player accolade for his commanding role at centre-back, where he fortified Amajita’s defence.
Smith also scored the only goal of the game in South Africa’s 1-0 win over Nigeria in the semi-finals. Besides his defensive excellence, Smith demonstrated an ability to dictate play by laying a sound structure at the back from which Amajita was able to build their play.
South Africa’s coach, Raymond Mdaka, was named the Best Coach of the Tournament.
Morocco received the Fair Play Award, while Momoh Kamara, from Sierra Leone, was acknowledged as the Top Goal Scorer of the tournament, with four goals.
Unsurprisingly, the newly crowned champions had four players included in the Team of the Tournament. Joining Symthe-Lowe and Smith in the lineup were Neo Rapoo and Lazola Maku.
Other selections included Mohamed Goweily (Egypt), Othmane Maamma (Morocco), Daniel Bameyi (Nigeria), Hossam Essadak (Morocco), Faycal Zahouani (Morocco), and Momoh Kamara (Sierra Leone).
Amajita’s success was a triumph of perseverance and winning the title put an exclamation mark on a gutsy journey, which began with a 0-1 defeat to the hosts, Egypt, on 27 April, in a match in which South Africa controlled play and struck the woodwork multiple times.
South Africa’s path to being crowned the champion of Africa echoed past FIFA World Cup tournaments, including in South Africa in 2010 when Spain went down 0-1 to Switzerland in their opener before going on to lift the title. In 2022, the eventual champion, Argentina, lost their first match, suffering an upset 1-2 loss to Saudi Arabia.
After losing to Egypt in their Group A opener, Amajita beat Tanzania 1-0 and Sierra Leone 4-1 before being held to a 1-1 draw by their Cosafa rivals, Zambia. They topped the pool on goal difference, finishing with seven points, along with Sierra Leone and Egypt.
Adding to Amajita’s fantastic achievements was the fact that received their winners’ medals from a fellow South African, Patrice Motsepe, the President of the Confederation of African Football (CAF).
In an exclusive interview with SuperSport Schools Plus in 2024, after Amajita’s victory at the u20 Cosafa Championship and qualification for the u20 Afcon, Mdaka discussed his team’s continuous pursuit of progress and the importance of maintaining composure and focusing on future objectives.
With the coach exhibiting a calm demeanour on the sidelines, they learned their lessons and went all the way to continental glory.
Amajita will next direct their attention to the 2025 u20 FIFA World Cup, which kicks off in Chile on 27 September. They’ll head into the event carrying the title of the champion of Africa.
