Mdaka credits SA reserve league for Amajita's Afcon success

Amajita coach Raymond Mdaka has given the DStv Diski Challenge (DDC), the reserve league of SA football, a fair share of credit for their historic Under-20 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) triumph.

In the final, Amajita beat Morocco 1-0, courtesy of Gomolemo Kekana's 70th-minute sweet strike just outside the box, lifting their first-ever Afcon trophy in Cairo on Sunday. Following Bafana Bafana's 1996 title and Banyana Banyana's success of 2022, Amajita are only the third SA football side to be continental champions.

Several key players such as Stellenbosch's defender Tylon Smith, who scooped the Player of the Tournament accolade, Kekana of Mamelodi Sundowns and his teammate in Thato Sibiya, alongside Kaizer Chiefs' Sifiso Timba, among many others, play DDC football.

“I salute the DDC because it made it easy for us to be able to see players weekend after weekend, going to different places. Our country is so big, so if it weren't for the DDC, we wouldn't be able to see them. You couldn't drive to make follow-ups on players, but through the DDC, we were able to see players, so we salute them and we say they have done a good job for the country,'' Mdaka told SABC Sports.

Goalkeeper Fletcher Smythe-Lowe, who's on the books of Portuguese side Estoril Praia's U-19, is the only player who's not locally based in the team. The 18-year-old shot-stopper was voted as Goalkeeper of the Tournament after some impressive displays, especially in the semifinals against Nigeria and in the final against Morocco, where he also walked away with the Man of the Match award.

Smythe-Lowe dedicated his Man of the Match award in the final to everyone in the team, especially the backroom staff. 

“This award is for the team. I mean, with only me and without them, we would be nowhere. Together we are stronger. It is nice to do my part, but the real plaudits go to everyone ... even the people behind the scenes, physios, doctors, fitness coaches and the players as well. It's amazing what we've been able to do,” Smythe-Lowe said.

SA also sealed a ticket to the U-20 World Cup, to be staged in Chile from September 27 to October 19 this year.

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