REASONS FOR OPTIMISM

SOUTH AFRICA’S UNDER-17 AFRICAN CHAMPIONSHIPS CAMPAIGN PROVIDED REASONS FOR OPTIMISM. ANALYSES

Amajimbos line up ahead of their 3-1 group stage win over Cameroon CAPACITY FOR IMPROVEMENT During the early games of the tournament, I had my doubts whether Amajimbos were the real deal. Despite racing into the lead against Ivory Coast in their opener, they wilted and ended up ceding two points. That was followed by the jittery opening hour against Mali—it looked like the optimism surrounding South African football was to fall flat in Niamey. However, steadily, South Africa began getting the basics right. They began defending as a unit, as goalkeeper Mondli Mpoto found his composure, began marshalling his backline and commanding his area. Katlego Mohamme is booked in the Final against Mali

In their last three matches, South Africa would concede only three goals, though their attack—the best in the group stage—struggled to ignite in the latter rounds. But overall, the team steadily improved during the tournament, a sign that this group of players are ready and able to learn from their mistakes.

A SUPERB ATTITUDE The players’ unwillingness to accept when they are beaten particularly impressed me. Against Mali in the Final, for example, with the West African defence standing imposing and resilient, South Africa could feasibly have lost faith. Lesser sides might have wilted as the glorious prize steadily slipped away from them. However, South Africa never gave up and kept on plugging away, plucky and optimistic, until the final whistle. Indeed, they could have been rewarded for their efforts in the dying minutes when Khanyisa Mayo had the ball in the back of the net, only to be dubiously pulled back for offside. Similarly, against the same opponents in the group stage,