When Sepp Blatter, the president of world football’s governing body, left South Africa last week he said he hoped that South African youth teams would participate in Fifa youth tournaments.
That is exactly what the South African under-17 team hope to set up this weekend. They are just one match away from the African youth championships.
The under-17s, known as Majimbos, take a 5-0 home-leg advantage to Sudan on Saturday and, barring a shock reversal, will become the first South African under-17 team to qualify for the biennial African junior championship after several failed attempts.
The three top teams in the African tournament, to be played in Gambia in March, will go on to participate in the World Youth Championships later in the year in Peru.
Under the watchful eye of their coach, former Free State Stars captain Serame Letswaka, Majimbos are creating a pipeline of talent for the senior national squad as the country builds towards hosting the 2010 World Cup.
”We have a good chance of qualifying,” said Letswaka. ”Almost all the players I asked for are in the squad and ready to beat Sudan again.”
Majimbos reached this final hurdle after beating Mozambique 8-1 on aggregate. They now have one foot in the eight-team championships after a one-sided second-round, first-leg match at FNB stadium.
Thulani Lukhele of Orlando Pirates scored a brace in the match, while other possible Bafana Bafana stars of the future who got their names on the score sheet were Mkhanyiseli Siwahla of Mother City, Sibusiso Msomi of Bright Stars and France-bound Michael Nkambule.
The Kaizer Chiefs development player is expected to join Strasbourg in France towards the end of this month. Nkambule (16) has also tried his luck at English Premiership side Manchester United.
A win for Majimbos will continue 2010 bid chief Danny Jordaan’s triumphant return to the South African Football Association chief executive position. Already, under Jordaan, the under-20 team has been crowned Council of Southern African Football Association under-20 champions, and Bafana Bafana have finally managed to beat Nigeria.
Now all the senior squad needs to do is qualify for next year’s World Cup in Germany.
”We are going to make history. The game against Sudan is the last hurdle,” said Letswaka.
Jordaan said: ”We have no doubt that they will wrap up the match in Sudan with a win. The road to 2010 is on track.”