Amajimbos defender takes lessons after Afacon disappointment

After being knocked-out of the Caf Under-17 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) in Algeria, Amajimbos captain and defender Benjamin Wallis says there were lots of lessons learned from the tournament.

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Amajimbos were eliminated from the Afcon by Senegal, who thrashed the South Africans 5-0 in the quarterfinals.

Wallis and his teammates saw their dreams of qualifying for the Fifa Under-17 World Cup fade away after that disappointing result.

The team spent close to a month together and now, with their run at the tournament finished, Wallis says they are still motivated to play more football when they get back to their respective teams.

“We have been together for a long time and we have learnt so much from so many different people. But I think a couple of lessons that stood out for me is that not all of them are football related,” said Wallis, who plays his football for SuperSport United juniors.

“Sometimes you should slow down a bit and look at what’s going on around you because life passes quickly. And when someone gives you an opportunity you should take it with both hands because you can never know what might happen.

“Even though we have been playing a lot of football in the last four weeks, everyone is still 100 percent motivated. I think as soon as everyone gets home they will want to hit the ground running and carry one. For now, they are just focusing on themselves, they just want to progress as much as they can at their clubs and make a name for themselves.”

The Amajimbos defender believes that they had a very talented squad at the Afcon despite being knocked-out.

And he says there is a bright future for everyone at the club.

“Hopefully, this can be the start of successful careers for most of the boys,” he continued.

“I think we have a very good group of players. Everyone has bonded well and everyone is very talented. I think if everyone keeps the right mindset, the right attitude and keeps on working hard, then we can be very successful.”

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Amajimbos are expected to land back in the country from the North African country on Saturday morning.