Pirates’ impressive juniors named in Amajita Cosafa Cup squad

Orlando Pirates reserves talented duo Mohau Nkota and Relebohile Ratomo have been included in the Amajita squad that will be competing at this year’s under-20 men’s Cosafa Cup at Somhlolo Stadium in eSwatini.

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The Cosafa Cup will be used as a qualifier for the Under-20 Caf Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon), where only the finalists in the Southern region will get a spot in the junior continental tournament ,to be staged in Egypt in February.

Pirates’ Nkota and Ratomo have been named in the Amajita squad following some impressive performances for the Buccaneers in the DStv Diski Challenge (DDC), with the pair being deadly in front of goal for the young Buccaneers.

While Nkota has previously made waves in the Diski Challenge for Pirates, Ratomo is in his debut season in the DDC and he has already made himself a player to watch in the Bucs squad, which has earned him a call-up to the national team.

‘Kimberly-born Nkota made his reserve league breakthrough during the 2021/22 season, netting an impressive eight goals during the opening half of a campaign which was cut short by a long-term injury,’ Bucs media wrote on their website.

“He will be donning national colours alongside one of the latest additions to the Bucs Reserves in fellow attacker Ratomo, who announced himself in the DStv Diski Challenge by netting a brace in the 3-2 Soweto Derby win against rivals Kaizer Chiefs.”

There are 12 teams that will be competing at the junior Cosafa Cup, with three groups of four teams each.

Amajita have been drawn in Group C at the competition and play their first game against Malawi on Saturday, before taking on Namibia two days later, concluding the group phase with a clash against Comoros Islands on Wednesday, 12 October.

With three groups, three group winners will qualify for the semi-finals to be played on 14 October as well as the best-placed runner-up, and the final will be played two days later.