The U17 FIFA World Cup is now in full swing, and Amajimbos will secure a spot in the knockout stages of the competition if they beat Qatar in their Group A encounter on Thursday evening.
South Africa put themselves in the driving seat when they outclassed Bolivia in their opening match on Monday with 10-man, after Sive Pama was shown a straight red card for a dangerous tackle in the first half.
Despite the setback, Amajimbos managed to get the job done under the circumstances, thanks to goals by dribbling wizard Emile Witbooi, striker Neo Bohloko, and Shaun Els.
The young South Africans are now gearing up to face the host nation, who will be entering the clash wounded following their disappointing 1-0 defeat to Italy.
Leading the pack
With games coming thick and fast, Amajimbos coach Vela Khumalo said the most important thing ahead of the Qatar game is to recover well after playing with a man down for most of the game.
“I so wish that we could get a good recovery from our medical side. We are playing against the host, so all odds will be against us,” Khumalo said.
“That game [against Bolivia] took a lot out of them, but our boys showed maturity and growth, understanding the technical changes and tactical flexibility that happened. I’m proud of our boys.
“But we need to manage that [recovery], and hopefully we will be a little bit fresher and get all the maximum points against the hosts so that we can qualify for the next stage.”
Amajimbos are currently occupying the number one spot in Group A with three points, followed by Italy, which is also on three points. Qatar and Bolivia are in third and fourth, respectively, with nothing to show.
The game between Amajimbos and Qatar kicks off at 5.45pam (SA Time).
