Despite suffering a 2-1 loss to France in the opening game of the FIFA World Cup U20 on Monday, Amajita coach Raymond Mdaka remains confident that his team can still qualify for the knockout stage of the competition. 

The African champions created numerous chances against France but ultimately fell short due to their inability to convert their opportunities into goals.

The only goal Amajita scored in the game was a penalty scored by Jody Ah Shene after Kutlwano Lethlaku was fouled in the box by Elyaz Zidane. 

Despite the loss, Mdaka believes his team can still make a deep run in the tournament. 

“Obviously, you lose the first game and you look at the results of what will happen next, and it always pushes you to put pressure when playing the second game,” Mdaka said. 

“But it’s a game of results; we’ll see, and as long as we’re still left with two games, it’s still possible, and we can move and qualify.”

Amajita currently sits in third place in Group E without any points, but they will look to bounce back in their next game against New Caledonia on Friday morning at Estadio El Teniente. 

New Caledonia is coming off a disappointing 9-1 loss to the United States in their tournament opener on Tuesday morning. 

Mdaka will be looking to his team to capitalize on New Caledonia’s weakness and secure a vital win.

A victory over New Caledonia would put Amajita in a good position ahead of their final group game against the log leaders, the United States, on Sunday evening.