In their match against Tanzania on Wednesday night, South Africa will try to record their first victory following a dismal start to the U20 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon).
The match against Tanzania is scheduled to start at 5pm at the Suez Canal Stadium.
The SA U20 national team, known as Amajita, lost their opening game on Sunday to hosts Egypt by a slim margin of 1-0.
The young South Africans were the more dangerous team, hitting the woodwork three times during the match.
Raymond Mdaka, the coach of Amajita, stated ahead of the crucial game that his team regrettably lost to Egypt and that they must improve their conversion rate against Tanzania.
Luck was not on our side
“In our first game against Egypt, we knew that it was not going to be an easy game. We went there fully prepared, and I think that we did very well,” Mdaka said.
“We were just unfortunate because we created several opportunities and hit the goalpost three times. Luck was not on our side, but we are happy with the commitment and the courage of the players.
“So, going forward in the competition, we feel that we can do far better than the first game. All we must do is convert the chances we create.
“We will give it our all against Tanzania to ensure we stay on course for the tournament.”
The Egyptians are currently leading the pack with three points, while Zambia and Sierra Leone are in second and third place, respectively, with one point each after their goalless draw in their opening game over the weekend. Amajita are at the bottom of Group A.
Mdaka is happy with arrival of Rapoo
In addition to losing important players Shandre Campbell and Mbekezeli Mbokazi, Mdaka also took a hit when his captain, Asekho Tiwani, sustained a knee injury against Egypt and will miss the final round of games.
Naledi Hlongwane, a striker for the Kaizer Chiefs Diski Challenge side, is also said to have left the camp because of registration-related problems.
However, Mdaka’s defence was strengthened when Neo Rapoo of SuperSport United arrived late following his team’s match against Polokwane City last Saturday.
