Amajita face must-win encounter at Afcon
Tshepo Ntsoelengoe
Amajita will have to ensure that they win their last Group B game against Burundi tomorrow in order to book a spot in the semifinals of the on-going Caf Under-20 Afcon in Niger.
South Africa played to their second draw at the competition on Tuesday following their goalless stalemate with Nigeria and playing to a 1-1 draw against the hosts in the opening game of the tournament.
Amajita are now third in the group with two points, level with Niger, who have a better goal difference after playing to a 3-3 draw against Burundi in their second group stages game.
Burundi, meanwhile, are fourth on the table with one point, having registered one loss and one draw.
Talking about their tie against Nigeria and their next game, Amajita coach Thabo Senong (right) says his charges lacked confidence on the ball against an aggressive Nigerian team and will now have to come up with a better strategy against Burundi.
“We had two objectives, which [were] not to concede, which we achieved, but we also hoped that we could score.
“We played against a very good team, they were very aggressive on us and did not give us time to think when we were on the ball.
“Maybe the boys were not confident enough, that is why I am disappointed that we did not work enough to get a goal,” said the coach.
“We have to move forward and think about Burundi now.
“Like I said from the start of the tournament, we are in a very tough group and all these games are very tough and we have to work hard in the final game.”
Senong added that it is important for his charges to keep it tight at the back, with the team missing top strikers like Lyle Foster.
“We left some of our good strikers because they were not released so it is always important to make sure that we close shop.
“But I still believe that we have a good plan against Burundi. It won’t be easy but we have to work hard to create more chances.”
A win for Amajita will not only see them reach the semifinals, they will also book a spot for the 2019 Under-20 Fifa World Cup, to be hosted in Poland in May.