Latest news with #Mdaka
The Citizen
23-05-2025
- Sport
- The Citizen
Tzaneen coach lifts African Cup of Nations trophy
TZANEEN – Congratulatory messages are flooding in for Raymond Mdaka, head coach of South Africa's u/20 national soccer team, Amajita, after leading the squad to a historic victory at the 2024 African Cup of Nations (Afcon). Amajita secured a hard-fought 1–0 win over Morocco in the final, held in Egypt on Sunday night, May 18. Mdaka, who hails from Mokgwathi village in Bolobedu and now resides in Nkowankowa, has etched his name into the history books by guiding the team to become the first South African soccer side to lift the Afcon u/20 title. Reflecting on the win, Mdaka said the achievement goes beyond football; it symbolises belief, perseverance, and the power of opportunity. 'This trophy belongs to every young dreamer who dares to chase greatness, and to every community that nurtures those dreams. To the players, staff, families, and supporters, thank you. Let's keep building, inspiring, and empowering,' he said. This marks the second major title for Mdaka and his young squad. In October last year, he also led Amajita to victory in the TotalEnergies CAF Confederation Cup held in Mozambique. In recognition of his contributions to sport, Mdaka was honored in January with the MEC of Sport, Arts and Culture Award during the Limpopo Sports Awards. Greater Tzaneen Municipality Mayor Gerson Molapisane praised the coach's outstanding leadership and extended his congratulations. 'We are incredibly proud of coach Mdaka's exceptional guidance and the determination displayed by Amajita throughout the tournament. This victory is proof of what can be accomplished through discipline, teamwork, and resilience,' the mayor said, adding that the community is eagerly awaiting Mdaka's return to Tzaneen to celebrate the milestone. At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
The Citizen
20-05-2025
- Sport
- The Citizen
Broos gives advice to Amajita players after AFCON triumph
'Everything now starts for you,' the Bafana head coach told Amajita's players. Bafana Bafana head coach Hugo Broos has congratulated Amajita for winning the 2025 Under-20 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt. ALSO READ: Amajita down Morocco to clinch first AFCON title Raymond Mdaka's side beat Morocco 1-0 in the final on Sunday at the June 30 stadium in Cairo to win the tournament for the first time ever. Amajita World Cup bound Amajita will also play in the Fifa Under-20 World Cup in Chile from September 27 to October 19. 'Congratulations to coach Raymond for the fantastic job he did in the last two or three weeks,' Broos told a press conference at the OR Tambo International Airport, as Amajita's heroes arrived back in the country. 'I followed nearly every game, and congratulations to you for the motivation you gave the team. I saw when they were playing that they were motivated and wanted to get a big result. 'Congratulations for the tactical moves and the fantastic mentality the team showed on the field. I think you did a great job bringing the trophy to South Africa. 'And also congratulations to the team. Getting to the top is easy but staying there is so much more difficult. Everything now starts for you. 'You are at a crossroads, to take the right direction and I hope we will see you in the next months, next year with Bafana … or maybe abroad. 'It is up to you now. You have an opportunity to have a nice life for the next ten to 12 years as a professional footballer. But you still have to work really hard in the next months. 'You also certainly have to take the right lifestyle. That is very important.' Amajita head coach Raymond Mdaka, meanwhile, reflected on a tournament where his side bounced back brilliantly after losing their opening match to hosts Egypt. 'The first game looked like a loss but we were able to go back, and pick up what to do, and how best to work on our game,' said Mdaka. 'The character to fight' 'We went to the extent of saying sometimes it doesn't work out tactically … but you have to have the character to fight.' ALSO READ: Pirates beat Chiefs to midfield signing Amajita went on to beat Tanzania and Sierra Leone, before drawing with Zambia to finish top of Group A. Mdaka's side then beat DR Congo, Nigeria and Morocco, all with a 1-0 scoreline, to lift the trophy.
Eyewitness News
19-05-2025
- Sport
- Eyewitness News
Amajita clinch AFCON U20 to make history
Mawande Mateza 19 May 2025 | 11:00 African Cup of Nations (AFCON) Amajita South Africa's ValiKazi asks the coach about the armband at the U-20 Africa Cup of Nations in Cairo, Egypt, on April 27, 2025. Picture: Ahmed Mosaad/NurPhoto via AFP JOHANNESBURG - South Africa's Under-20 football team made history on Sunday night as they won the Under-20 Africa Cup of Nations for the very first time. Amajita, as they are affectionately known, beat Morocco 1-0 in the final thanks to a second half goal from midfielder Gomolemo Kekana. The achievement marks a remarkable turnaround in age group football in the country, as the team had failed to qualify for the previous two editions of this competition, and the last time the SA side had made a final was back in 1997. SA coach Raymond Mdaka says their success was largely down to a collective effort between the players in his squad and the coaching staff. ALSO READ: Amajita makes history, reaches AFCON U20 final for the first time in 28 years "Well done to the boys, they've done good. But we also want to thank everybody from the players to the technical team. Starting from the first games in the group stages, you can even the margins in the results, you can see it was [consistently] 1-0. Thank God, we were able to go through on the journey until we came to the final and ended up winning the final," Mdaka said. There were also individual accolades to celebrate as defender Tylon Smith, who scored the winning goal in the semi-final against Nigeria, was named Player of the Tournament. Fletcher Smythe-Lowe, who produced a Man of the Match performance in the final, was also awarded as the prize for the tournament's best goalkeeper. The victory was made even more extraordinary as a number of key players, such as Shandre Campbell, who plays for Club Brugge in Belgium and Orlando Pirates defender Mbekezeli Mbokazi could not join the team for the tournament due to club commitments. The next big assignment from Mdaka's team is the FIFA Under-20 World Cup in Chile in September.
IOL News
19-05-2025
- Sport
- IOL News
Amajita conquer Africa! South Africa's youth continue to rise to continental glory
The SA U20 national men's team won the U20 Africa Cup of Nations on Sunday after beating Morocco 1-0 in the final. Photo: Backpagepix Image: Backpagepix The investment that has been made in the growth of South African youth football paid off on the continental stage on Sunday, as the Under-20 men's national team won the Under-20 Africa Cup of Nations. Amajita etched their names into the record books of continental football by winning their first-ever Africa youth championship. En route to the title on Sunday night, Amajita beat Morocco 1–0 at the 30 June Stadium in Cairo, courtesy of a second-half goal by Gomolemo Kekana. That win means Amajita will head to the Fifa Under-20 World Cup in Chile in September as African champions, surpassing the class of 1997 who finished as runners-up. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ South African youth football has been on the rise recently, with the Under-17 men's national team – Amajimbos – also qualifying for the Fifa Under-17 World Cup in Qatar in late November. This upward trajectory comes as the PSL reserve league – the DStv Diski Challenge (DDC) – celebrates 10 years of existence and success. The DDC has been a breeding and nurturing ground for some of the top exports the country has ever produced, including Bafana Bafana's talisman, Percy Tau. In his U20 Afcon squad, coach Raymond Mdaka included players who are either currently playing in the reserve league or have graduated from it. Kekana and Tylon Smith, who scored the title-winning goal and won the Player of the Tournament award respectively, are on the books of Mamelodi Sundowns and Stellenbosch reserve teams, respectively. Mfundo Vilakazi, Neo Rapoo and Kutlwano Letlhaku are notable DDC graduates now playing for their respective senior teams. Speaking at his post-match press conference after the final, Mdaka heaped praise on the impact of the DDC on South African football, addressing the media including SABC Sport. 'Back home, we used to have interviews and we said the number of players that we see are playing in the DDC,' Mdaka said. 'Most of them were promoted to their senior teams after our games in Mozambique, which says a lot about the youth – we seem to be getting there as a team. 'That's the foundation of the senior national team. The U17 national team has also qualified for the World Cup.' South Africa lift the #TotalEnergiesAFCONU20 trophy for the first time ever 🇿🇦🏆 — SuperSport Football ⚽️ (@SSFootball) May 18, 2025 Mdaka noted that the DDC has made scouting easier for him and his technical team, as the league hosts festivals across the country that are often broadcast. 'So again, we need to put more focus on development because that's what can take our football somewhere,' Mdaka said. 'We need to salute our DDC because it made it easy for us to be able to see players every weekend, going to different (venues). The country is also big, so if it wasn't for the DDC, we wouldn't see them. It was easier to follow up through the DDC. So, we salute them and say they've done a good job.' Mdaka admitted that they had to be at their best to reach the final and win it, with all their knockout-stage victories coming by narrow margins, including the final. 🏅 𝕄𝔸ℕ 𝕆𝔽 𝕋ℍ𝔼 𝕄𝔸𝕋ℂℍ 🏅 Amajita goalkeeper Fletcher Smythe-Lowe! 𝐒𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐡 𝐀𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐚 🇿🇦 1⃣➖0⃣ 🇲🇦 𝐌𝐨𝐫𝐨𝐜𝐜𝐨 🚨 LIVE 🥇 Final 📺 SABC 2 📱 #TotalEnergiesAFCONU20 — SABC Sport (@SABC_Sport) May 18, 2025 'We always stick to what we know best, and make sure that we don't concede. Mostly, if you don't concede in a tournament, chances are you get one goal and win the game,' he added. Amajita's ascension wasn't easy, as they lost their opening game to hosts Egypt before finishing top of Group A and defeating DRC, Nigeria and Morocco to win the crown. All three knockout stage wins came via 1–0 scorelines, and Mdaka has lauded his team's defensive prowess. Fletcher Smythe-Lowe kept four clean sheets and provided an assist for Kekana's goal in the final, and was duly crowned Goalkeeper of the Tournament. Speaking to CAF TV after being named Player of the Match following the final, Smythe-Lowe reflected on what the win meant for him. 'It means a lot to not only me but the team. This award goes to the rest of the team. With only me and without them, we'd be nowhere. Together we are stronger,' Smythe-Lowe said.
TimesLIVE
19-05-2025
- Sport
- TimesLIVE
Mdaka credits PSL's Diski reserve league for Amajita's Afcon success
Amajita coach Raymond Mdaka has given the DStv Diski Challenge (DDC), the Premier Soccer League's under-23 reserve league, a fair share of credit for his team's historic Under-20 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) triumph. South beat Morocco 1-0, thanks to Gomolemo Kekana's stunning 70th-minute strike and a tenacious performance, to lift their first U-20 Afcon trophy at Cairo International Stadium on Sunday. After Bafana Bafana's 1996 title and Banyana Banyana's success of 2022, Amajita are only the third South African football side to be crowned continental champions. When joy turns into rhythm. 🕺🎤 #TotalEnergiesAFCONU20 — CAF_Online (@CAF_Online) May 18, 2025 Many crucial Amajita players - such as Stellenbosch FC defender Tylon Smith, who scooped the Player of the Tournament accolade, Kekana of Mamelodi Sundowns and his teammate in Thato Sibiya, Kaizer Chiefs' Sifiso Timba - play in the DDC for their respective clubs. 'I salute the DDC because it made it easy for us to be able to see players weekend after weekend, going to different places,' Mdaka told SABC Sports. 'Our country is so big, so if it weren't for the DDC, we wouldn't be able to see them. You couldn't drive to do follow-ups on players, but through the DDC, we were able to see players. 🥇 𝔸𝔽ℂ𝕆ℕ 𝕌𝟚𝟘 ℂℍ𝔸𝕄ℙ𝕀𝕆ℕ𝕊 🥇 South Africa's U20 side, Amajita, made history on Sunday night by winning their first-ever U20 Africa Cup of Nations title by defeating Morocco 1-0 in the final held in Egypt. #SABCSportFootball #TotalEnergiesAFCONU20 — SABC Sport (@SABC_Sport) May 19, 2025 'So we salute them and we say they have done a good job for the country.' Goalkeeper of the Tournament Fletcher Smythe-Lowe, who is on the books of Portuguese side Estoril's U-19s, is the only player who is not locally-based in Mdaka's squad. The 18-year-old put on some impressive displays, especially in the semifinals against Nigeria and in the final against Morocco, where he also walked away with the man of the match award. Smythe-Lowe dedicated his man of the match award in the final to the SA U-20 team, especially the back room staff. 'This award is for the team. I mean, with only me and without them, we would be nowhere. 🏆 𝔸𝔽ℂ𝕆ℕ 𝕌𝟚𝟘 🏆 ⚽️ ⒼⓄⒶⓁ: Amajita's goal stands following a VAR intervention! 𝐒𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐡 𝐀𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐚 🇿🇦 1⃣➖0⃣ 🇲🇦 𝐌𝐨𝐫𝐨𝐜𝐜𝐨 🚨 LIVE 🥇 Final 📺 SABC 2 📱 #SABCSportFootball #TotalEnergiesAFCONU20 — SABC Sport (@SABC_Sport) May 18, 2025 'Together we are stronger. It is nice to do my part, but the real plaudits go to everyone, even the people behind the scenes; physios, doctors, fitness coaches and the players too. 'It's amazing what we've been able to do.' Amajita's first success in the U-20 Afcon came in their second final appearance, the first coming when coach Shakes Mashaba's generation of Benni McCarthy, Matthew Booth, Junaid Hartley and Stanton Fredericks lost 1-0 to hosts Morocco in the 1997 last game, 28 years ago. South Africa had sealed their ticket to the U-20 World Cup, to be staged in Chile from September 27 to October 19, by reaching the semifinals. SowetanLIVE
