Cape Town City and Amajita star Shakeel April has expressed his excitement about the upcoming U20 FIFA World Cup, stating that their goal is to go to Chile and conquer the world later this month.
The reigning U20 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) champions have been drawn in Group E alongside France, the USA, and debutants New Caledonia.
April, who was part of the SA U20 team that lifted the Afcon in Egypt earlier this year, said they will look to emulate their continental feat and go all the way to lift the World Cup.
“I am very excited; I can’t describe the feeling because we are going to the World Cup in a few weeks and I can’t wait,” April revealed to Sunday World on the sidelines of their 3-2 friendly win over AmaTuks on Thursday.
“But we just must continue pushing and working hard, because all we want is to win the tournament. That is the target and standard we have set for ourselves – to win the World Cup.
“Just like the Afcon, before the tournament, we were not really given a chance, but we ended up surprising a lot of people and becoming the African champions. So, we want to do the same thing at the World Cup stage; go out there and do our best.”
Hyped up for selection
Amajita has been in camp since the beginning of the week and will play another friendly game before coach Raymond Mdaka names his final 21-man squad in the coming days.
The 19-year-old April said he is confident that he will make the final squad, but will continue to work hard in training to prove that he is ready for the World Cup.
“I am confident and believe so much in myself, but at the end of the day, it is the coach’s decision. So, my responsibility is to continue working hard in training and in games, then see what happens later.
“Otherwise, camp has been fantastic; we are excited to be here. The whole point of us being here is to bring unity in the team, and I feel like we are stronger than before,” April added.
Amajita are scheduled to go up against another Motsepe Foundation Championship side, Gomora United, on Saturday.
