The South African Under-20 men’s national team assistant coach Karabo Mogodi has been impressed by the attitude of his charges following their arrival in Rancagua, Chile, where they will be based for the upcoming FIFA U20 Men’s World Cup, which kicks off on September 27.
According to the SA Football Association (Safa) website, after travelling for just over 20 hours from South Africa, Amajita are settling in nicely in their hotel, which is surrounded by the famous Andes Mountains.
These are among the world’s largest mountain range passing through seven South American countries: Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Argentina and Chile.
Deserved rest after long flight
Coach Raymond Mdaka’s young brigade, led by captain Tylon Smith, share the base with two other teams in the tournament from their group – France and debutants New Caledonia.
“I think it was a long flight, and the boys have rested quite well now. Everything’s looking good and there are no casualties, no issues from the long flight,” Mogodi was quoted by Safa media.
“Looking at the environment in the hotel, we’ve got two other teams here, but I think it hasn’t really affected us that much, and the food is good, which is a good start. I think that can help us a lot. But I think the boys have recovered from the flight.
“We started our sessions on Thursday, and some are still writing exams, and obviously the FIFA programme can be quite hectic for the boys, but I think they are ready for the fight.”
The South Africans return to the global scene after missing out on the last edition in 2023. Prior to that, they participated in the 1997, 2009, 2017 and 2019 tournaments.
“We are quietly excited because it’s a new experience for a lot of these boys. From facing their regional foes [in Cosafa] and facing the continental countries [Afcon] as well and now the world [World Cup] – I think it’s a step up.
“Obviously, because of the quality around the world, everyone who has qualified here is a top team, and they’re not looking out of place.
“I think they are ready mentally, and that’s what’s most important because once they are ready mentally, they can follow tactics, and they can play to the best of their ability.”
Time difference
In addition to the long travel, Amajita must also adjust to the five-hour time difference. Chile is five hours behind South Africa.
“This one is a different issue because then you have a lot more hours afforded to you, and we’re now chasing time – so it can be challenging because you can overrest and then get fidgety at night because all of a sudden you can’t sleep.
“But it is an adjustment; in five days we should have recovered. It takes one day to recover, but I think the boys are good.
“You could see they are ready for this tournament, and when you are ready and your mindset is good for it, it means any obstacles you can bypass and overcome,” added the Amajita assistant coach.
The U-20 Men’s African Champions held their first training session on Thursday afternoon.
They open their campaign on Monday against France in Group E, followed by New Caledonia, and round off the round robin stage with a clash against the United States.
