Amajimbos lose to Zambia but still qualify for Cosafa/Afcon qualifier semis

South Africa men’s Under-17 coach Duncan Crowie is eager to see his charges qualify for the Caf Under-17 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon).

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Amajimbos qualified for the semis of the Cosafa/Afcon qualifiers despite losing their last group match 1-0 to Zambia on Wednesday, with the team finishing in second place in their group after collecting six points.

Crowie’s side qualified for the knock-out stages of the Championships following their 1-0 victory over Mozambique in a Group B encounter, which came after they thrashed Seychelles 11-0 in their opening game of the tournament.

“We expected a tough game against Mozambique and that is exactly what we got. Tough opponents, we found it very difficult to break them down, they played a lot of long balls, but the defense did very well and in the end we ran out winners,” says Crowie.

“We still have one more game to go against Zambia and they are probably the toughest team in the whole group. But I will look at the bench and try to give everybody an opportunity to play, and that is in preparation for the semifinals. But yes, we are looking forward to the semifinals and of course if we win that game we are through to Algeria, which is what everybody is working towards.”

Crowie added that he has been impressed by his players’ performances at the tournament and praised 15-year old Siyabonga Mabena for his display against Mozambique.

“Mabena has been a revelation, and keeping in mind that he is only 15 years old. He can play another year or two in the under-17s. I am sure that after teams watch his performances here in Malawi, a lot of them will be after his signature. Fantastic player, we must just keep him grounded.”

The South Africans will now take on Malawi in the semi-finals on Friday, with a win for the side guaranteeing them a place in the junior Afcon and the final.