Amajimbos coach Vela Khumalo expressed unbridled joy and satisfaction after they qualified for the knockout stage of the FIFA U/17 World Cup for the first time.
Despite suffering a 3-1 loss to Italy on Sunday in the last group stage match, Amajimbos finished second in Group A with four points, securing their spot in the next round.
“Look, I’m over the moon; I think I’m happy, the group is happy, and everyone is happy, and even the South Africans as well, and just look at the support we got after the game,” Khumalo said, beaming with pride.
“Under the circumstances, we made it through, and we’re going to the knockout stage, which it’s our target we set for ourselves, and take it from there.”
Khumalo’s side had a remarkable run in Group A, which included the host nation Qatar, Italy, and Bolivia. They began their campaign with a win against Bolivia, followed by a draw against Qatar, and lost to Italy in their final group match on Sunday.
“We have reached one goal, one step, and surely we’ll plan better and try to get results as we go forward,” Khumalo added.
“Look, we said we’re going to the knockout stages without necessarily looking at breaking records or something like that.
“But I think winning the first game helped us a lot; I think it was very important for us to win the first game, and getting a draw in the second game made it even easier for us.”
Amajimbos’ achievement follows in the footsteps of Amajita, the African champions who reached the knockout stage in the FIFA World Cup U20 in Chile last month.
While Amajita fell short of winning the tournament, Amajimbos still have a chance to make history by lifting the trophy.
As Amajimbos progress to the knockout stage, the 2025 COSAFA Cup champions will look to build on their momentum and make a deep run in the tournament.
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