U21 AFCON winners

Three Downs Youngsters Part of the History Making Amajita Squad in the 2025 U20 AFCON

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The South African U20 Men’s Team are champions of Africa after winning the U20 African Cup of Nations (AFCON) earlier in May. Among the 23-man squad that made history in Egypt, were three Mamelodi Sundowns youngsters, namely Kutlwano Letlhaku, Thato Sibiya and Gomolemo Kekana.

This generation of Amajita are undoubtedly a special group, as the victory marks South Africa’s first youth continental championship title. It took Diski Team’s midfield maestro, Gomolemo Kekana, to score the only goal of the final match against Morocco, for this moment to happen. A 77th minute powerful shot from outside of the box that found the top right corner of the net, made coach Raymond Mdaka’s men champions of Africa.

Not only did Amajita win the tournament and scooped some accolades, they also qualified to participate in the FIFA U20 World Cup that is set to take place in September in Chile.

The Digital Mag team sat down with the three youngsters as they reflected on what they dub a life-changing tournament:

Kutlwano Letlhaku

“The overall experience at the tournament was very nice because we had to compete against some players who play overseas and see our level and where we are quality wise as South African players. We knew that we were going to play a very difficult tournament, so winning it was just the cherry on top. We got to make a history for ourselves and the country. Beating Morocco in the final, a side that South Africa lost to in the 1997 U20 AFCON, just made the feeling of winning even better.”

“Looking ahead to the U20 World Cup, I do not want to set any specific expectations for myself. I just want to go there, enjoy the experience and help the country win games — and hopefully, win the tournament. With the quality of players we have, it is definitely possible. I will give my best to help the team by scoring goals and creating chances.”

“Not many players in South African can say they won the league, so it is a blessing for me to have won the league with Mamelodi Sundowns. Winning the U20 AFCON and the league on the same day is something out of a fairytale story. As a player, achieving those things and then heading to the Club World Cup is helping in exposing my talent to the world. Now we are heading to a prestigious tournament where we will be competing against the best teams in the world. This will help me to be more competitive and I am looking forward to helping the Club win the tournament for the first time ever.”

Thato Sibiya

“My experience at the tournament was a lovely one. It was a very tough tournament, so going all the way to win it was special. With the talent that our group has, the country was expecting us to win the tournament, so it felt good to make them proud. We were given an opportunity to play against Africa’s best players in the U20 level and we grabbed it with both hands.”

“It is always an honour to represent the country. It is every footballer’s dream to play and represent the country be it on the continental stage or global stage. Not only did I represent the country, I also made them proud with my efforts and helping the team win the tournament. For us to become the group to win the U20 AFCON for the first time in South Africa is even more special. Making history in national team colours was the best feeling for me and I think it will remain a highlight in my career.”

“I grew so much as a player where my mentality and the way I see the game improved a lot because of the adversities we faced, especially against Egypt in the group stages. That game was a wake-up call to get our minds into the tournament and that we have to compete and play to win.”

“My favourite moment of the tournament has to be in the final on the 93rd minute when I won the foul for the team. We were in the opposition’s half and had defending for over ten minutes. In that moment I even expressed passion because I helped in ensuring that we don’t concede in the dying minutes of the match.”

Gomolemo Kekana

“It was a great privilege for me to play at the highest stage of African football at such a young age and I am looking forward to representing my country in more stages like these in the future.”

“Winning this tournament was evidence of what a special group of players we are, to be the first U20 group to bring the AFCON trophy back to South Africa. It really means a lot for us as individuals and as a collective.”

“The goal that I scored in the final was just a cherry on top of all the hard work as a team. I also think that the unity and camaraderie we displayed is what made the victory special. For me to have scored the winning goal says a lot about the hard work I have put in in preparing myself for both Club and National Team football. Even though I am the one who scored, this was the product of the team’s success and efforts”.

“Looking ahead to the U20 World Cup, my goal is to play all the games and everything else will fall into place in its own time. I am looking to creating more special memories with this group of talented players.”

The trio represented both the Club and the country in an admirable way. They carried the winning spirit into the continental stage and they were rewarded with a sweet victory. The youngsters are evidence that the sky truly is the limit and they are destined for greatness. The entire Mamelodi Sundowns family would like to congratulate the trio and the entire Amajita team for their historic victory!

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