Amajita’s u20 FIFA World Cup preliminary squad unveiled
The u20 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) champion, South Africa, has revealed its preliminary squad for the u20 FIFA World Cup.
With less than a month to go until the global showpiece kicks off in Chile, Amajita’s coach, Raymond Mdaka, announced a squad on Wednesday that features talented players who have been making waves both locally and internationally.
Amajita, the 10-time champions of the Cosafa region, head into the u20 FIFA World Cup with a sense of pride and confidence after lifting the Afcon title for the first time in the nation’s history in May after defeating Morocco 1-0 in the final, held in Egypt, thanks to a long-range goal by Mamelodi Sundowns‘ midfielder Gomolemo Kekana.
A year before claiming the Afcon honours, Mdaka’s team secured the Cosafa title in Mozambique by defeating their arch-rival, Zambia in the final. Zambia has historically posed stiff challenges to South Africa’s aspirations in both the boys’ and girls’ development Cosafa tournaments.
In July, South Africa captured their tenth Cosafa title. The event formed part of the 11th annual African Union Sport Council Region 5 Youth Games in Namibia and featured various other sports, including athletics and basketball.
However, it wasn’t Amajita who were in action. Rather, it was the u17 National Team, known as Amajimbos, who were led by coach Vela Khumalo.
His young squad, which included emerging talents like Emile Witbooi, performed admirably and the tournament served as a valuable test for Amajimbos, who will contest the u17 FIFA World Cup, in November, in Qatar.
Taking a look at Mdaka’s preliminary squad, SuperSport Schools Plus was delighted to see the inclusion Siyabonga Mabena, a graduate of the School of Excellence and a current player for Mamelodi Sundowns.
He is a young talent who is cherished not only by the fans of the Brazilians but also by fans of the national team because of his captivating skills. Mabena played a significant role in South Africa’s Cosafa title win in 2024, but he missed out on the u20 Afcon because of an injury.
His rise to prominence was shared with a global audience in 2024 when he was recognised as one of the top 60 young footballers by The Guardian newspaper in an article titled “Next Generation 2024: 60 of the best young talents in world football“.
See Mabena being recognised on the world stage was a morale booster, not only for the player himself but also for the game in South Africa.
Another player included in preliminary squad, who is almost certain to be named in the final selection is Tylon Smith. After excelling at the u20 Afcon, Smith secured a permanent transfer to Queens Park Rangers (QPR), which competes in the EFL Championship, the second tier of English football. Earlier this month, he made his senior debut for QPR.
Smith, the scorer of the winning goal against Nigeria in the semi-finals of Afcon, is a key player for South Africa. He’s a defensive force and was named the Player of the Tournament at the u20 Afcon.
Goalkeeper Fletcher Symthe-Lowe could, arguably, be viewed as the most valuable player in the squad. His exceptional performances were crucial to South Africa’s victories in the Cosafa and Afcon tournaments.
Some football analysts and commentators in South Africa have even advocated for Symthe-Lowe to be fast-tracked into Bafana Bafana‘s goalkeeping camp to expose him to the senior international level.
He was rightfully awarded the Best Goalkeeper of the u20 Afcon for his outstanding contributions throughout the tournament. Since then, he has transferred his skills to Portuguese Primeira Liga club, Estoril Praia FC.
Langelihle Phili, who plays for Stellenbosch FC, graduated in 2022 from Glenwood High. His former coach, Khaya Mngwengwe, who serves as the Director of Soccer and coach of the Green Machine, expressed his admiration for Phili when he represented Amajita during the u20 Afcon in Cairo, which served to underline the excellence of Glenwood’s football programme.
Indeed, Glenwood has been gaining recognition recently with players like Alakhe Mdluli, from Eswatini, who captained the Green Machine to the KZNHSFA Coastal A-League and the Primo Big titles in 2024. He was also an important player in the Glenwood team that secured the league title in 2023.
Mdluli now plays for AmaZulu and made his senior internation debut for Eswatini at the recent Cosafa tournament held in Bloemfontein.
Other players to keep an eye on include Mfundo Vilakazi, Luke Baartman, and Simphiwe Selepe, from Orlando Pirates, who stepped up towards the end of last season under former Bucs‘ coach José Riveiro.
Riveiro demonstrated faith and instilled confidence in many of the young stars of Pirates who are currently playing first-team football. Among these players are Mohau Nkota, who now plays for Al-Ettifaq in the Saudi Pro League, Relebohile Mofokeng, and Mbekezeli Mbokazi.
Mbokazi, aged 19, played a crucial role in Mdaka’s squad when they secured the Cosafa title in Mozambique in 2024, forming a dominant defensive partnership with Smith.
He has demonstrated further growth and leadership in his football, captaining Orlando Pirates in their opening fixtures of the season, and it looks likely that he will be fast tracked to the senior national team, Bafana Bafana.
Mdaka’s team is rich in talent, and South African football fans will be pleased to learn that Shandre Campbell, who was named in the SuperSport Schools Class of 2023 and currently plays for Club Brugge, in Belgium, has also been named in the preliminary squad.
His club did not release him for the u20 Afcon, which was a significant loss. Still, without Campbell and Mabena, Amjita went all the way to the title.
However, the addition of the duo, will enhance the South Africa u20 squad, but, at the same time, it will make the decisions on the final squad all the more difficult for the coach and his technical team.
Goalkeepers
Fletcher Smythe-Lowe – Estoril Praia FC (Portugal)
Takalani Mazhamba – Kaizer Chiefs
Kgoleng Ratisani – Sekhukhune United FC
Musa Masemola – Via Sport
Defenders
Sfiso Timba – Kaizer Chiefs
Asekho Tiwani – Mamelodi Sundowns
Neo Rapoo – Siwelele FC
Gopolong Taunyane – Kaizer Chiefs
Siviwe Nkwali – Stellenbosch FC
Thato Sibiya – Mamelodi Sundowns
Tylon Smith – Queens Park Rangers (England)
Midfielders
Lazola Makola – SuperSport United Academy
Patrick Autata – Durban City FC
Gomolemo Kekana – Mamelodi Sundows
Simphiwe Selepe – Orlando Pirates
Faiz Abrahams – Hapoel Kfar Saba (Israel)
Kutlwano Letlhaku – Mamelodi Sundowns
Mfundo Vilakazi – Kaizer Chiefs
Shakeel April – Cape Town City FC
Gabriel Amato – Cape Town City FC
Thato Mpati – Magesi FC
Forward
Langelihle Phili – Stellenbosch FC
Kgomotso Madiba – Stars of Africa
Shandre Campbell – Club Brugge (Belgium)
Siyabonga Mabena – Mamelodi Sundowns
Thabang Mahlangu – Siwelele FC
Jody Ah Shene – Cape Town City FC
Siviwe Magidigidi – Siwelele FC
Naledi Hlongwane – Kaizer Chiefs
Luke Baartman – Kaizer Chiefs
