It is now or never for coach Raymond Mdaka and Amajita, as they literally have their fate in their own hands, and must seek nothing less than maximum points if they are to realise their dream of advancing further in the U20 Fifa World Cup in Chile.
The reigning African champions will be in action tonight at 10pm (SA time), when they cross swords with the USA in their final Group E match.
The game will be a decider on which teams qualify for the knockout rounds, and the ones that will pack their bags and take the first flight out of pais de los poetas (the country of poets).
Amajita disappointingly lost their opening match 2-1 against a France side that is said to have assembled its final World Cup team five days before the start of the tournament.
However, just like at the Afcon, Amajita lost their first game but quickly dusted themselves off and blew every team away to go on and be crowned the champions.
After their slow start, their recovery started against New Caledonia on Friday, when they walloped them 5-0 to register their first three points in the group. “The France game was a wake-up call for us, so we are looking forward to the clash against New Caledonia. We don’t feel the pressure, but we experienced this in Egypt (losing the first game), so this was just a wakeup call,” said midfielder Lazola Maku. “I think the nerves got the better of us, after all, it’s the World Cup stage, but we will go back and fight for maximum points,” he added.
Now, with just a matter of hours left until Amajita takes to the field at the Estadio El Teniente in Rancagua, Mdaka will be expected to leave no stone unturned and bring on the big guns in his starting line-up. Here are some of the PSL regulars that Mdaka has in his arsenal that he can introduce to pip the lanky Americans for a group stage spot.
Mfundo Vilakazi:
The Kaizer Chiefs dribbling wizard showed his quality and why he is tipped to be one of the best talents to come out of SA in their opener against France and New Caledonia.
Vilakazi provided two assists against the Caledonians and earned himself a man of the match accolade.
Against France, “Obrigado” probably created the biggest chance of the game for Amajita when his window-breaking pass landed on the feet of fellow substitute Siviwe Magidigigi, but the Siwelele FC striker saw his effort saved by the goalkeeper at close range.
Siyabonga Mabena:
There was a huge argument on social media that Siyabonga Mabena was one of the players who were supposed to be introduced in the second half by Mdaka against France, as his trickery would have done Amajita a lot of good against the shaky French defence.
Mabena was not part of the Afcon-winning squad, but was included by Mdaka for a reason, and that reason must be supported by more game time tonight. He has shown his abilities at the star-studded Mamelodi Sundowns that he can compete against the best in the PSL and in the world.
Thabang Mahlangu:
Thabang Mahlangu has proven time and time again that he is a striker with goals in him and will raise his hand whenever being called to deliver. Mahlangu was one of the unsung heroes at the Afcon in Egypt, as his goals from the bench took the monkey off Amajita’s back and helped the team.
Take nothing away from his strike partner, Jody Ah Shene, who is the regular starter for Mdaka and has also scored important goals for Amajita.
