4 October 2019 – Bafana Bafana coach, Molefi Ntseki, took time out of his busy schedule to pay a visit to the South African U-17 Men’s National Team that is currently in camp preparing for this year’s upcoming COSAFA Men’s U-17 Championship.
Ntseki attended the squad’s training session that took place at SAFA’s Technical Centre (Fun Valley), and said he was impressed with the level of talent interim coach Vela Khumalo had assembled.
The Bafana Bafana coach also went on to add that this current group of players reminded him of the Amajimbos’ class of 2015, which qualified for South Africa’s first ever FIFA U-17 World Cup tournament, after finishing second to Mali in the 2015 U-17 Africa Cup of Nations in Niger.
“This current group of players actually reminds me of the quality we had back in 2015 when we qualified for the 2015 FIFA U-17 World Cup back in Chile,” Ntseki said. “Coach Khumalo was with us back then when we went all over the country looking for the right talent, and I must say he has done a tremendous job in bringing in this current group of talented players for selection.
“Judging from what I have seen here,” Ntseki added. “I have no doubt in my mind that this group has the potential of qualifying for the 2021 FIFA U-17 World Cup in the coming year.”
Amajimbos have been in camp since Tuesday (2 October), preparing for the upcoming COSAFA Men’s Under-17 Championship, which will run from 11 — 20 October in Blantyre, Malawi.
In this year’s edition, Amajimbos are pitted in Group A alongside hosts Malawi, Zambia and Eswatini.
Ntseki stated that he had all the confidence in the world that Khumalo will do well serving the nation in his new role.
Amajimbos will jet off to Malawi on Wednesday, 9 October ahead of their first Group A match against the hosts on 12 October.