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Amajita coach Raymond Mdaka is confident that the team is ready for the U20 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) as they head to Egypt tonight.
Mdaka’s squad, minus some of the players who have either not been released by their clubs or will join the team later this week in Egypt, beat Sekhukhune United’s ABC Motsepe League team 5-0 in Bedfordview on Tuesday.
Mdaka revealed that they would have loved to play against a team also playing at this AFCON, but says they are still fine with their preparations.
"Earlier on, we had prepared for that and it's something that we would have loved to have but as a coach, you must know you are always on your toes and the technical team and the boys know that once things change, you immediately adjust,” Mdaka said.
“In the initial preparation, we were supposed to play Congo before, but they also changed because it also affected them to say, the tournament now is no more in Ivory Coast, it's in Egypt, so we can't be able to play the match.
“We would have loved to have an extra match, hence even the match that we're playing we wanted a team that, in the look of things, is in a better level compared to the boys because we wanted the physical challenge and mental challenges that you find with the seniors.
“It's something that we would have loved to honestly but we're fine with where we are so far."
Amajita open their AFCON campaign against hosts Egypt at the Cairo International Stadium on Sunday.
Egypt lost 2-1 to Nigeria in their final training match in Cairo last night.
The other three teams in Group A are Zambia, Sierra Leone and Tanzania.
The semifinalists in this tournament will qualify for the FIFA U20 World Cup in Chile later this year.
As reported by SABC Sport in the past few days, Mdaka confirmed that they are heading to this AFCON U20 tournament without some key players who have been part of this group, like Mbekezeli Mbokazi and Shandre Campbell, who have not been released by their clubs.
"From the group that we started with, we don't have Shandre. The issue of Shandre was said some three weeks back to say the team in a discussion with the manager to say he's in the first team, so it will be difficult for them to release the boy,” the coach explained.
“Mabena was injured because he was one of the key players, Mbokazi is one of the key players, one player that we started every program with. We thought we'd have him but unfortunately, we won't."
Since Mbokazi started with the Amajita camp last year and helped the team qualify for this AFCON, by winning the COSAFA U20 tournament, he’s been one of the key members of the squad.
With Orlando Pirates still involved in the CAF Champions League, also in the final of the Nedbank Cup and competing strongly for the Betway Premiership, Mdaka understands why the 19-year-old is not being released, but also doesn’t hide that his omission is a big blow to his young squad.
