Coach Mdaka Not Satisfied With Amajita's Performance Despite Thrashing Botswana 6–0

• South Africa Under-20 head coach Raymond Mdaka made a crucial point about his team's performance against Botswana in an international friendly ahead of AFCON competition
• Amajita scored six unreplied goals but their coach was not carried away with the number of times his players found the back of the net
• South Africa are one of the top countries participating in the Under-20 Africa Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast with World Cup ticket up for grabs

South Africa Under-20 head coach Raymond Mdaka expressed dissatisfaction with his team's overall performance, despite their dominant 6-0 victory over Botswana in a friendly at Soweto UJ Campus Stadium on Saturday.

Cape Town City star Jody Ah Shene and Kaizer Chiefs youngster Mfundo Vilakazi each scored a brace, while Stellenbosch FC's Langelihle Phili and Ah Shene's club mate, Shakeel April, also got on the scoresheet.

Mdaka not happy after South Africa's performance against Botswana

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According to Sowetan Live, Mdaka accepted that the match was a great game, but he was not convinced with his team's performance despite his player finding the back of the net six times.

The South African tactician wants more from his players as he doesn't want to be carried away by the loads of goals scored by his team.

"It wasn’t a great game," Mdaka said. "Maybe we played into the strengths of the opponent. Knowing our team, we should have performed much better."

"I think the players may have thought that Botswana wouldn’t pose much of a challenge, but that’s the wrong mindset, especially as we prepare for Afcon.

"Sometimes, scoring goals can mask the issues, but we need to take our approach seriously. If we don’t, we’ll face bigger challenges ahead. We need to stop underestimating opponents and make sure we do things the right way every time."

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The two teams will face off once again in another friendly at the same venue on Tuesday, as SA under-20 side continue their preparations for the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) for their age grade. It is set to take place in Ivory Coast in April.

South Africa under-20 side have been placed in Group B, widely regarded as the "group of death" due to the presence of Nigeria, Egypt, and Morocco.

The four countries that reach the semi-finals of the competition in Ivory Coast will automatically qualify for the FIFA World Cup as Africa's representatives.

The Under-20 FIFA World Cup for the will be hosted by South American nation, Chile, from September to October, 2025.

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Source: Briefly News