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Under-20s arrive to a low-key reception

THE SMILES SAY IT ALL: The South African under-20 national team players arrive at OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg yesterday. Amajita were returning from Russia where they won the Commonwealth Cup on Sunday Photo: Lefty Shivambu/Gallo Images
THE SMILES SAY IT ALL: The South African under-20 national team players arrive at OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg yesterday. Amajita were returning from Russia where they won the Commonwealth Cup on Sunday Photo: Lefty Shivambu/Gallo Images

The supporters who turned out to welcome national under-20 team Amajita at OR Tambo International Airport yesterday were not enough to make a football team's starting line-up.

But as the players walked through the doors at terminal A with the Commonwealth Cup they won in Russia on Sunday, the general public stopped to take photos of the trophy as interest in this talented group of players grew.

The boys, bushed after a long flight home from the 12-team competition in chilly Russia, enjoyed the moment and they will be hoping for an even warmer reception in March when they hopefully come back home from Senegal with the African Youth Championship trophy in their hands.

Caretaker coach David Notoane believes this group of players, who also won the 2013 edition of the Cosafa under-20 Cup, can give a good account of themselves at the Youth Championship in March and even qualify for the World Cup to be played in New Zealand in June. Notoane praised the players' fighting spirit after they beat Finland 2-1 in the Commonwealth Cup final.

"Winning mentality is there and the fighting spirit from the boys was amazing. We were 1-0 down in the semifinal against Belarus and we managed to come back and we qualified for the final," said Notoane, who is in charge while Thabo Senong assists Bafana Bafana coach Shakes Mashaba at the Africa Cup of Nations finals in Equatorial Guinea.

"We went there to win and we achieved that. These boys will be motivated going to Senegal. They have shown that they have the desire to succeed and that will help us going to Senegal."

There are still some concerns for Notoane, though. ''We conceded a few goals from counter-play and we will work on that when coach Thabo joins us. Also, we created a lot of chances but did not convert them. We need to work on that," he said.

 

Pule Maraisane, who scored one of the goals against Finland, said: "It was very cold in Russia, but we told ourselves that we have to fight and win the competition. Playing in that competition has helped us mentally."

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