18 May 2019 — South Africa’s National Under-20 (Amajita) side held Ukraine to a 1-1 draw following a superb finish by striker Kobamelo Kodisang after coming in as a sub for Lyle Foster in the 60th minute at the Bannikov Stadium in Kyiv, Ukraine on Saturday.

That goal came in just six minutes after the stocky forward was on the pitch, connecting well with Malebogo Modise’s cross which found him unmarked inside the 18-yard box.

Kodisang easily tapped that ball straight into the back of the net with the inside of his foot to help Amajita bounce back from a 1-0 lead they had conceded just eight minutes into the second period of the game.

It was Viktor Korniienko who had scored the opener of the match from a spot kick.

In the first half, Amajita struggled to keep up with their opponents’ pressing play, as Ukraine applied early pressure in search of an early goal.

Goalkeeper and captain, Khulekani Kubheka, played a massive part in keeping the opposition from finding the back of the net with some decent saves he pulled in the first stanza of the game.

In the second period though, Amajita changed gears, forcing their opponents to play on the back foot this time around. The national juniors created some decent scoring chances, however, lacked the needed luck to finish them off.

Substitute Oswin Appollis made a positive impact after coming as a sub for Khanya Leshabela in the 70th minute.

Amajita played with more precision and verve pressing forward, with the 17-year old midfielder being the mastermind behind every attacking play with his clean touches and ability to make quick decisions on and off the ball.

Amajita’s sought after winning goal did not come, though, as their opponents held on for dear life to keep matters even up until fulltime.

Amajita will now jet back to Poland on Sunday (19 May), where they will continue with their 2019 FIFA U-20 World Cup preparations there.