The SA U17 men’s national team now knows who they will face in the Fifa U17 World Cup later this year.
According to coach Vela Khumalo, his team is ready and looking forward to the competition.
Amajimbos qualified for the U17 World Cup after reaching the quarter-finals of the U17 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) recently.
In the World Cup, South Africa will play against Italy, Bolivia, and hosts Qatar in Group A.
Looking beyond group stages
Speaking after the draw in Qatar this week, Khumalo expressed his excitement for being part of the World Cup, saying his side will be ready for battle in November.
“I think this is what we are all waiting for, what we anticipated. This development is both highly significant for the country and incredibly intriguing. However, I think we’re all ready for this,” Khumalo said.
“This is what we all wanted. It is important that we do not get carried away and instead focus on advancing beyond the group stage and aiming for the knockout rounds.
“We don’t know much about the teams, but because we are all starting from zero, we are all equal, and it is all about preparation and how we want to do it.”
World Cup to feature 48 nations
He continued: “But based on what we see, maybe one will say that there are good chances of leaving the group stage and moving on to the knockout stage, which will then say in the knockout stage it will be all about let’s see what is going to happen going forward.”
The competition is set to take place in Qatar from November 3 to 27. It will be the first U17 World Cup that will feature 48 teams and matches spread across 12 groups.
Other teams that will join Amajimbos and represent Africa on the global stage will include Senegal, Egypt, Zambia, Burkina Faso, Mali, Ivory Coast, Uganda, Tunisia, and reigning U17 Afcon champions Morocco.
