South Africa’s Amajita will begin their quest to defend the COSAFA Under-20 Championship title when they face Lesotho in their opening Group B encounter in Mozambique on Saturday.
The tournament, which also serves as the regional qualifying competition for the 2027 CAF Under-20 Africa Cup of Nations, runs from September 18 to 27, with South Africa drawn alongside Lesotho, Angola and Eswatini.
Head coach Raymond Mdaka has assembled his charges for another demanding campaign after guiding Amajita to regional glory in 2024 and then producing an even bigger achievement by leading the team to South Africa’s historic first-ever Under-20 AFCON title in 2025.
Amajita are scheduled to leave for Mozambique on Thursday, September 17, ahead of their opening match against Lesotho on Saturday, September 19.
They will then face Angola on September 21 before completing their group-stage campaign against Eswatini on September 23. The three group winners and the best runner-up will advance to the semi-finals, while the two finalists will qualify for the 2027 Under-20 AFCON.
Mdaka, however, knows that defending the title will not be an easy assignment.
He has already warned that although every match will be approached with the same seriousness, Angola is likely to provide the toughest examination in the group.
The coach has also had to negotiate player-availability problems, with some players involved with their clubs. Cape Town City winger Emile Witbooi, for instance, is expected to miss the opening match against Lesotho before joining the squad for the Angola encounter.
Mdaka said the decision was reached after discussions with Cape Town City.
«“We had some discussions with Cape Town City and we made them understand our programmes so that we can be able to help each other. We agreed that for a player of Witbooi’s quality not to play the U20 tournaments could be a big issue.”»
The coach has also retained several players from the successful generation that conquered Africa, although he was unable to secure every player he wanted.
“We could not get Fletcher, but we managed to get Lazola Maku who played all the games last season,” Mdaka said. “We are waiting on Madiba from Brazil… We also have a few players from the PSL teams, but we couldn’t get a number of players who are playing in the NFD.”
Mdaka’s winning formula
Mdaka’s credentials for the job are unquestionable.
He took over Amajita in 2024 and immediately made his mark by guiding South Africa to the COSAFA Under-20 title in that year’s tournament in Mozambique.
Amajita defeated Zambia 2-0 in the final, scoring 16 goals throughout the competition without conceding a single goal.
That success earned Mdaka the opportunity to lead the same generation into the 2025 Under-20 AFCON, where he made South African football history.
Amajita defeated Morocco 1-0 in the final to become the first South African men’s Under-20 side to win the continental crown.
The achievement transformed Mdaka from a regional title-winning coach into a continental champion.
Now, as he returns to the COSAFA competition, the former Marumo Gallants coach will be expected to use the experience gained from those triumphs to guide another group of youngsters towards regional success.
Coach caught in salary storm
Mdaka’s remarkable achievements also brought an uncomfortable spotlight on his remuneration from the South African Football Association.
Former SAFA technical director Walter Steenbok claimed that Mdaka earned no more than R25,000 a month, sparking widespread criticism and comparisons with the reported salary of the Bafana Bafana head coach.
SAFA CEO Lydia Monyepao subsequently told Parliament that Mdaka earned more than R30,000 but less than R50,000 per month. She also confirmed that there was no bonus available for the Amajita coach for winning the Under-20 AFCON.
Despite the controversy, Mdaka refused to allow the salary debate to distract him from his work.
Speaking during his homecoming in Greater Tzaneen following the AFCON triumph, he said:
«“You cannot stop people from talking much as how they speak to you, others it might be quite disturbing, others might be pleading with you. But these are the things that we don’t normally focus on. We just allow it as it is and nature will sort it out.”»
Greater Tzaneen honours its football hero
While SAFA’s salary controversy dominated the national conversation, Mdaka received a very different reception in his home territory.
Greater Tzaneen Municipality rolled out the red carpet for the coach, hosting a homecoming celebration and trophy parade after his historic AFCON triumph.
The municipality also provided R35,000 to the Raymond Mdaka Foundation to assist with its youth development activities.
Mdaka explained that his foundation was established to identify and develop young talent in rural communities.
He said the foundation had started with four primary schools before expanding to eight, and that the latest programme involved 16 football teams and netball teams.
“The biggest vision for me is to also see those kids coming from the rural areas and getting into academies to showcase their talent,” Mdaka said.
The recognition from his home municipality came after what had already been an extraordinary period in his coaching career.
But Mdaka now has another challenge in front of him.
Amajita return to Mozambique not merely as participants, but as defending champions and a team carrying the expectations created by their historic continental success.
For Mdaka, the objective is straightforward: build another competitive group, navigate the demanding group stage and give South Africa another chance to qualify for the Under-20 AFCON.
The journey begins against Lesotho on September 19.
And once again, the man from Ga-Mokgwathi outside Tzaneen will be standing on the touchline, attempting to turn another group of young South African footballers into champions.