Amajita heroes: the five who shone brightest in historic triumph in Egypt

Sure, everyone in the Amajita team deserves credit for helping the team with their maiden Under-20 Afcon title, but there are a few starlets who shone brighter than others. We pick five heroes who stood out as SA also qualified for the U20 World Cup in the process of bagging the title in Egypt.

Fletcher Smythe-Lowe: Goalkeeper

(Seven matches played; four clean sheets, three goals conceded)

The 18-year-old, who plies his trade in Portugal for top-flight side Estoril Praia's Under-19s, was just colossal for Amajita. Smythe-Lowe, the only player who's not based locally in the squad, was eventually voted the Goalkeeper of the Tournament. The young keeper was in his element particularly in the semifinals and in the final against Nigeria and Morocco respectively, keeping them at bay.

Tylon Smith: Defender

(Seven matches played; one goal)

Stellenbosch's Smith was simply amazing. The towering 20-year-old centre-back hardly lost any battles throughout the tournament. Smith also netted the only goal that saw Amajita stun Nigeria in the semifinals. It was no surprise that Smith walked away with the coveted Player of the Tournament gong in the end.

Thato Sibiya: Defender

(Six matches played)

Sibiya,18, is described by many as a “mentality monster”, thanks to his never-say-die attitude, despite only linking up with the team as Orlando Pirates star, Mbekezeli Mbokazi's late replacement. Sibiya was hardly beaten on 1 vs 1 situations at left-back. Sibiya, who plays for Mamelodi Sundowns' DStv Diski Challenge (DDC) team, started five of Amajita's seven games and came in as a sub in another.

Gomolemo Kekana: Midfielder

(Seven matches played; one goal)

Kekana, who plays for Sundowns DDC, etched his name into SA football folklore, netting the goal that saw Amajita beat Morocco 1-0 in Sunday's final. The lanky defensive midfielder, 18, was Amajita's heartbeat throughout the competition, controlling the tempo of the game with aplomb. 

Shakeel April: Midfielder

(Seven matches played; one goal)

April, 19, was more of an impact player for Amajita, starting four of the seven games, he played. The Cape Town City right-winger scored one goal (against Tanzania, where they won 1-0 in their second game of group stages) and racked up two assists (in the 4-1 thumping of Sierra Leone in their third group phase fixture and against DR Congo in the quarterfinals, where SA won 1-0 after extra time).

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