After ousting Nigeria 1-0 in the semi-final of the African U17 Championship in Niger on Wednesday, the Amajimbos can now look forward to the Final of the prestigious continental youth championship.
Not much was expected of South Africa during this tournament, they hadn’t qualified for the previous three competitions and only managed to advance to the knockout stages after finishing second in their group.
However, after overcoming the Golden Eaglets, there is now a genuine belief that the great hopes of the Rainbow Nation can go all the way. They have already secured a spot in their first-ever U17 World Cup by virtue of escaping the group stage.
In this feature, we profile three Amajimbo players who have done wonders for their reputations over the last few weeks and who could star against Mali in Sunday’s Final.
Mondli Mpoto
As noted above, South Africa’s defence hasn’t exactly been impregnable during their four games at the U17 event, however, things would surely have been much worse had it not been for goalkeeper Mondli Mpoto.
Final opponents Mali would have been out of sight in their group-stage match had it not been for Mpoto’s excellent work between the sticks. Instead, after a slow start, he kept the West Africans at bay, giving South Africa a platform upon which they came back to secure a point.
Again, against Nigeria, he was a constant menace for the Golden Eaglets forwards, helping his side hold on for a terrific victory.
Goalkeepers get better with age, and while Mpoto may have demonstrated some early caution in the tournament, Bafana Bafana fans can begin to get very excited about the SuperSport stopper’s potential.
Which Amajimbo players have impressed you so far during the ongoing African U17 Championships? Get in touch on Twitter @KickOffMagazine and @EddyDove to let us know.
