Amajita hone in on World Cup
MALEPA’S RETURN BOOSTS SIDE TO FACE SENEGAL
EIGHT years after Serame Letsoaka’s national under-20 team qualified for the Fifa World Cup in Egypt, the current group that Safa is banking on to be the future Bafana Bafana look set to book themselves a spot at the showpiece.
After their 3-1 victory over Cameroon in their opening U-20 Africa Cup of Nations Group B game in Ndola, Zambia on Monday, Amajita will earn a ticket to the World Cup in South Korea in May if they beat Senegal at Levy Mwanawasa Stadium today (6pm).
Not since 2009 have Amajita had a team this good.
Not only are they good, but they are determined to succeed, so this gives South Africans good reason to believe the boys can qualify for the semifinal with one match to spare.
“It’s important for us to win against Senegal so that we don’t have pressure. We want to go into the last game [against Sudan on Sunday] knowing that we have qualified,” said midfielder Teboho Mokoena, who was the stand-in captain against Cameroon, in the absence of suspended Tercious Malepe.
“The victory against Cameroon was good and it made us happy. Looking at how we prepared, we were not surprised to get that win. We are one step closer to qualifying [for the World Cup], but it is now in the past and we have to focus on Senegal.
“They will be physically strong, like Cameroon. We think six points will be enough to qualify.”
Mokoena admits that he was surprised to captain the team on Monday.
His club SuperSport United
only released him before the competition, so he was not really part of the preparations.
“It was surprising to be captain.
But the coach has belief in all of us,” the young midfielder said.
The return of Malepe is a boost for Amajita, though the team deserves credit for doing well without him against Cameroon. Katlego Mohamme and Sandile Mthethwa settled after a nervy start in central defence and they also had anchorman Wiseman Meyiwa as a shield just in front of them.
Coach Senong could be tempted to start with Bidvest Wits striker Phakamani Mahlambi.
He would form a deadly partnership with Monday’s hat-trick hero Luther Singh.