Witbooi On Target Again As Amajimbos Hold Qatar To A Draw

Emile Witbooi was on the scoresheet once more as Amajimbos held Qatar to a 1-1 draw in their FIFA U-17 World Cup Group A clash at the Aspire Zone on Thursday night.

The result sees South Africa move to second place in Group A with four points after two matches.

Amajimbos went into the game on a high, having defeated Bolivia 3-1 in their opening match on Monday, despite playing most of the encounter with 10 men. Witbooi was on target in that game as South Africa made history by picking up their first victory in this tournament.

Meanwhile, hosts Qatar were looking to bounce back after suffering a defeat to Italy in their first match, also on Monday.

Earlier on Thursday, Italy maintained their perfect start to the tournament with a 4-0 win over Bolivia, taking top spot in Group A.

However, Amajimbos had a shaky start to their clash with Qatar. Just three minutes into the game, a defensive error by Liam Marthinus gifted possession to the hosts. Yazan Mohamed capitalised on the mistake, cutting inside before slotting past Lwandiso Radebe to give Qatar the lead.

Despite the early setback, Vela Khumalo’s side regrouped and began to take control of the game, spurred on by a vocal home crowd.

Their persistence paid off in the 16th minute when Witbooi expertly timed his run to meet a superb defense-splitting pass from Kamohelo Mareletsie, heading home at the far post to level matters. Qatar’s defence was completely caught out by his movement.

Qatar nearly restored their lead soon after, but Radebe produced a brilliant reflex save with his right foot to deny a certain goal.

On the stroke of halftime, Yazan tried his luck from distance, but Radebe was alert once again, punching the effort away to safety.

After the break, clear-cut chances were few and far between as both sides tightened up defensively.

Witbooi later thought he had won a penalty after twisting past his marker and seeing the ball strike an opponent’s arm. He immediately urged his bench to request a VAR review, but Venezuelan referee Nieto Erizon ruled that there was no penalty after consulting the monitor.

The draw leaves Amajimbos on the verge of qualification for the knockout stages, while Qatar picked up their first point of the tournament but remain bottom of the group.

Amajimbos will conclude their Group A campaign against Italy on Sunday, while Qatar face Bolivia at the same time. A draw would be enough to reach the knockout stages for the first time.