Grant Margeman
Ajax Cape Town youngster Grant Margeman earned his first international call up as Amajita took part in the Under-20 African Nations Cup in Zambia. Far from being overawed by the occasion, the hard-working midfielder featured in all five matches in the tou
The Ajax midfielder eyes the knockout stages in South Korea
Ayear ago, Grant Margeman’s main focus was getting through the day’s lessons at his Modderdam High School, ensuring his matric year ended without hiccups. Fast forward eight months and the talented midfielder is already on double digit appearances for the Ajax Cape Town first team, and a shoe-in for South Africa’s Under-20 side heading to South Korea. Amajita ended March’s Under-20 Nations Cup in fourth place, yet were under the cosh early on in the tournament. A perfect 3-1 opening win over Cameroon was followed up by a disappointing 4-3 loss to Senegal, with Amajita blowing a 2-0 half-time lead to put themselves on the brink of elimination heading into the last group game against Sudan. With the scores level at 1-1 at the break in their must-win clash, Margeman found himself in the right place at the right time, smashing the ball into the roof of the net on the hour mark to put Amajita in front. “It felt amazing, as that was the goal that booked our place at the World Cup, so it was a wonderful moment,” the 18-year- old recalls. South Africa went on to win the encounter, but fell short in their following two games. However, they left Zambia with a ticket to South Korea in their hands, and many lessons learnt. “Most of the teams in Zambia were physical and bigger than us, but we have that extra flavour – that quick play – and that’s what killed our opponents,” Margeman says. “Playing the ball speedily, with small combination play, is our strength. So for us, it’s now just about minimising the weaknesses in our team and focusing on what we are good at.” For Margeman, in his first-ever national team camp, integrating himself amongst his new teammates took a lot quicker than expected, yet he feels more time with the squad in camp can only result in better communication on the pitch. “There are a few small issues we need to fix ahead of the World Cup,” he notes. “There’s still big improvement to be made. There were moments where the understanding between some of the players was not so good. Some of us, like myself, only just arrived and are playing with the rest of the squad for the first time, so I think we need more preparation time, and maybe an earlier camp ahead of South Korea, so that we get to know each other better and understand each other’s strengths and weaknesses. “We conceded a lot of goals in Zambia, which is an area we need to work on. Our lack of communication cost us a lot.” The Ajax youngster, whose preferred position is a box-to-box midfielder, says working under
(Right) Margeman’s fine form for Ajax resulted in a junior national team call-up.
Thabo Senong for the first time was incredibly insightful, and that he managed to gain helpful tips from the experienced coach. “He will always talk to you, he is always calm, and for him, discipline and punctuality is most important,” Margeman says. “He taught me how to play in different positions and in different formations, so if I ever play for another club, I’ll find it much easier to play with different players and in different styles of play. He also helped me in my decision-making, timing and positioning on the field.” South Africa face a daunting task at the upcoming showpiece, having been drawn in Group D alongside South American champions Uruguay, Asia winners Japan and European continental runnersup Italy. Yet Margeman feels entering the competition as underdogs may work in South Africa’s favour. “Heading into a tournament as underdogs is always good because you can show your hunger and prove that you are there to win,” he says. “We aren’t going there just to fill numbers, but to try win the tournament. Just reaching the knockout stages will be a big boost as it’s a big tournament. But we’ll take it one game at a time and see what the opposition is all about. “The key will be to stay disciplined, and take each game as a cup final.”
“THE KEY WILL BE TO STAY DISCIPLINED, AND TAKE EACH GAME AS A CUP FINAL.”