Amajimbos were knocked out of the U17 Africa Cup of Nations by a far superior Senegal side, who thrashed them 5-0 at Nelson Mandela Stadium on Wednesday, which also means SA will not qualify for the U17 FIFA World Cup.
Duncan Crowie’s side had qualified for the quarter-finals as one of the two best third-placed teams from the group stages, while Senegal qualified with a 100% record, scoring seven goals without conceding in their three Group A wins.
Senegal were in control of much of the first half, with the young South African side struggling to come out of their own half in the first 30 minutes.
Michael Dokunmu had a great chance to score the opener against the run of play but his header after an inch-perfect cross by Siyabonga Mabena sealed past the far post after 33 minutes.
Senegal opened the scoreline after 36 minutes when SA defender Waylon Renecke deflected a header into his own net.
Just two minutes, Senegal made it 2-0 thanks to another own goal that was confirmed after another own goal, this time by SA captain Benjamin Wallis.
Senegal all but sealed the tie before the break when Mamadou Sadio scored Senegal’s third goal.
The game didn’t change much after the break, with Senegal continuing their dominance. They improved the scoreline in the 55th minute when Amara Diouf scored his fourth goal of the tournament.
Senegal continued their rout, with Diouf completing his brace in the 71st minute via a powerful header.
While, Senegal became the first team to qualify for the U17 World Cup, South Africa will have to try again in 2025.
