The Suez Canal Stadium witnessed an electrifying encounter on Tuesday evening as Amajita, the South African U20 national football team, secured a thrilling 4-1 victory over Sierra Leone in the AFCON U20.

The win sees Amajita inch closer to the quarterfinals, with their final group match against Zambia just around the corner.

Amajita dominated the early stages of the match, with intricate passing moves that left Sierra Leone’s defense struggling to cope.

Their efforts were finally rewarded in the 14th minute when Jody Ahshene combined beautifully with Cape Town City’s Shakeel April to score the opening goal.

Despite Sierra Leone’s pressure, Amajita goalkeeper Fletcher Lowe made crucial saves to preserve his team’s lead.

The first half ended 1-0 in favor of Amajita, but Sierra Leone intensified their attack in the second half.

Amajita, however, maintained their lead, scoring a second goal in the 60th minute through captain Neo Rapoo, assisted by Ahshene. Sierra Leone responded well, pulling a goal back in the 70th minute through their captain, Momoh Kamara.

Amajita coach Raymond Mdaka made tactical substitutions, introducing Patrick Autata and later Thabang Mahlangu and Langelihle Phili to strengthen his attack.

The introduction of Mahlangu and Phili proved pivotal, as Mahlangu scored two goals in quick succession – the third goal in the 86th minute and the fourth goal in the 90th minute, completing his brace.

The win sees Amajita move to second place in the group with six points, behind log leaders Sierra Leone, who have seven points.

Despite the loss, Sierra Leone has already secured a spot in the quarterfinals. Amajita will play their final group match against Zambia on Friday, hoping to progress to the next stage.

With the top two teams from each group and the two best third-placed teams advancing to the quarterfinals, Amajita stands a good chance of making it through.

The team’s performance against Sierra Leone has shown their potential, and they will be looking to build on this momentum in their final group game.

Amajita’s victory over Sierra Leone has set the stage for an exciting final group match against Zambia. With their eyes on the prize, Amajita will be looking to make a deep run in the AFCON U20.