After clinching the Cosafa Cup for the third straight time by beating Mozambique 2-1 in the final on Sunday, Amajita coach Raymond Mdaka feels the team have laid the foundation as they look to defend their Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) title in Ghana in 2027.
Amajita have already qualified for the Afcon in Ghana after reaching the Cosafa final, and Mdaka said it was a good start to their preparations for the tournament.
The junior Afcon is scheduled to take place in February and March 2027.
“It’s good for the country, good for the boys; after that, you see, defending a trophy is something else, especially that you have also qualified for Afcon,” Mdaka told the media after Amajita arrived at OR Tambo International Airport on Monday morning.
Mdaka said the players adapted well despite not having enough time to prepare for the tournament.
He hopes they will have more time to prepare for the Afcon tournament as they plan to defend the title they won in Egypt.
“One would want, if it was possible, to have the same journey that we had [with Cosafa],” he said.
“The Afcon is a build-up; it is better than when you go to Cosafa.
“I give the boys credit for what they have shown for us to bring back the trophy and put it as a foundation to prepare for Afcon.
“This group, most of them are still at school; they are doing matric, and also the tournament came at a time when it was out of the calendar.
“So, you always get those kinds of challenges to juggle who you get and who you are not getting.
“And also, you would not have enough time for preparations, but we understand that’s what Cosafa is.
“Fortunately, we had a good group that was able to pick up quickly in a short time for them to be able to compete.” — Sowetan