11 February 2019 – Amajita midfielder Luke le Roux says they will do everything to ensure they reach the finals of the CAF Africa U20 Cup of Nations tournament at the expense of Senegal, whom they face on Wednesday, 13 February 2019 in the semifinals.

The match will take place at the Seyni Kountché Stadium in Niamey at 20h30 South African time.

The South Africans travelled to Niger’s capital on Sunday (10 February 2019) to start preparations for the fixture.

Reaching the top four of this eight-nation continental tournament also means that Amajita qualified for their second FIFA Under-20 World Cup in a row.

The tournament will take place in Poland from 23 May – 15 June later this year.

South Africa defeated Burundi 1-0 on Friday (8 February) to book their place in the world football showpiece, with Le Roux scoring from the penalty spot.

“To be honest with you, I do not know what came over me when I decided that I would be the one taking the penalty kick,” Le Roux said. “Nerves were there, however, I knew that scoring that goal would put us in pole position in reaching the final four of this tournament.

“Qualifying for the 2019 FIFA Under-20 World Cup was our primary objective, and I knew we had the capacity of protecting our lead, once we were a goal or two ahead. I am just glad we were able to do just that in that match.”

The midfielder added that Amajita will do everything in their power to push for a positive result in their match against Senegal.

“It is not going to be an easy game for either side,” added Le Roux. “However, we have studied our opponents and we know what to expect from them. The technical staff has been exceptional in preparing this team, and we are ready for Wednesday’s match. Now that we have completed the first mission of qualifying, we want to go all the way and see where we end up. Who knows, we may just bring back the gold. It would be a great achievement.”

South Africa will be joined in Poland by Senegal, Nigeria and Mali as the four African representatives at the 2019 FIFA U-20 World Cup.