Football

Amajita Coach Mdaka Calls for More Prep Time After COSAFA U20 Championship Win

Published 28 Sep 2026 at 8:25 PM

by Dzikamai Matara

3 min read

Amajita defended their COSAFA U20 Championship title on Sunday, defeating hosts Mozambique 2-1 in Matola with only a week of preparation
Coach Raymond Mdaka acknowledged the squad faced major selection challenges, with several players still completing their matric exams during the tournament
Mdaka warned that the upcoming 2027 U20 AFCON in Ghana will demand far more preparation time than Amajita had for COSAFA

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SOUTH AFRICA — Amajita head coach Raymond Mdaka has called for significantly more preparation time ahead of the 2027 U20 Africa Cup of Nations, despite his side successfully defending the COSAFA U20 Championship title over the weekend.

South Africa beat hosts Mozambique 2-1 at ABB 1 Stadium in Matola on Sunday to retain the regional crown they first claimed in 2025. The victory also secured Amajita a place at the 2027 U20 AFCON, scheduled to take place in Ghana between February and March next year.

Mdaka reflects on limited preparation

The 56-year-old coach was candid about the obstacles his technical team faced before the tournament. The competition fell outside the FIFA international calendar, complicating squad assembly, and several players were unavailable for selection.

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Those who did feature had just roughly one week to train together before their campaign began, with several still attending school and preparing for their matric examinations.

"For most of them, they are still at school, they're doing matric, and also the tournament came at a time when it was outside the FIFA calendar," Mdaka said, according to Sportswire.

"So you always get those kinds of challenges, to juggle and say, who do you get, who are you not getting? And also, we didn't have enough time for preparation, but we understand that's how COSAFA is."

He credited the squad's ability to absorb information rapidly under the circumstances.

"Fortunately, we had a very good group that was able to pick things up very quickly in a very short space of time for them to be able to compete.

Eyes now on AFCON and World Cup

Mdaka also underscored the weight of winning back-to-back regional titles while simultaneously clinching continental qualification.

"Defending a trophy is something else, especially because on the same day we also qualified for AFCON. Both trophies were in the office, so it's a good start for us as we prepare for AFCON."

Beyond the continental tournament, Amajita will have their sights on the 2027 FIFA U20 World Cup, co-hosted by Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan. The four semi-finalists at the U20 AFCON will earn automatic berths at the global showpiece, giving South Africa a clear pathway to the World Cup should they perform well in Ghana.

Pitso Mosimane reacts to Amajita’s COSAFA triumph

Briefly News previously reported that Bafana Bafana coach Pitso Mosimane weighed in on Raymond Mdaka’s young side and highlighted what their latest success could mean for the future of South African football.