Broos On Amajita Progress, Calls For Continuity
Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos has called for continuous development of the nation’s U20 team Amajita, admitting he sees future national team players in the current squad.
Coach Raymond Mdaka led Amajita to an impressive COSAFA championship U20 triumph following a 2-0 victory over defending champions Zambia in the final on Saturday afternoon, thanks to goals from Shandre Campbell and Jody Ahshene.
This was South Africa’s ninth crown in the COSAFA under-20 age group, clinching it with 16 goals scored and zero conceded as Smith Lowe won the Golden Glove, while Campbell was named player of the tournament and Ahshene won the Golden Boot award for his four goals.
Broos, whose 23-man squad is set to lock horns against Congo Brazzaville in the 2025 AFCON qualifiers, confirmed that they are already keeping an eye on a few players for the senior team.
“You see a few players that we’re saying, ‘oh, maybe we have to keep an eye on them’, but I said it when I arrived here, to the studio, I said to my team manager [Vincent Tseka], they’re doing well now and in the final.”
However, the 72-year-old Belgian mentor has emphasized the importance of continuity with the current crop of players showing promising signs, insisting that camps must be arranged every FIFA break to prepare them for U23 football and subsequently Bafana.
“But, if we stop now, that’s not the right thing to do, so every FIFA break you have to call them also,” Broos said.
“You have to arrange a camp, organize, work with them, and then you can progress, but if now after the tournament [COSAFA] you wait until there’s another game or until AFCON starts.
“No [that can’t be], so let’s hope that what we’re doing now and the good things that are happening now, we can go on and there’s a follow-up of this squad. That will help the players a lot for U23 and after that Bafana Bafana.”
As a result of being the finalists of the COSAFA Championship, both Amajita and Zambia have booked their place in the U20 Africa Cup of Nations showpiece that will take place next year.
