The South African Football Association (SAFA) in partnership with Bafana Bafana and Amajita sponsor, HONOR, held a send-off celebration for the SA U20 Men’s National Team in Johannesburg on Monday night.
The gathering was to honour the youth team for recent achievements, including being crowned the 2025 COSAFA U20 winners, lifting the CAF U20 Men’s Africa Cup of Nations trophy and also qualifying for the FIFA U20 Men’s World Cup in Chile, South America, in the process.
The event was attended by, among others, the Amajita squad, Minister of Sports, Arts and Culture, Gayton McKenzie, SAFA President Dr Danny Jordaan, SAFA CEO Lydia Monyepao, SAFA NEC member Solomon Makhubela, who will also be the Head of Delegation in Chile, as well as the HONOR CEO Fred Zhou.
At the ceremony, Minister McKenzie, on behalf of the State President, handed over the South African flag to team captain Asekho Tiwani.
“I’m telling you today, you’re going to come back with this cup. I believe in you, I believe in every one of you and on behalf of my President, the Honorable Cyril Ramaphosa, I want to say that he said that there’s no doubt that you’re going to come back with the cup. Captain, lead us to victory,” said the Minister.
Amajita have made four appearances at the FIFA U-20 Men’s World Cup – with their debut in 1997 (Malaysia), followed by qualifications in 2009 (Egypt), 2017 (Korea Republic) and 2019 (Poland). For the 2025 edition in Chile, they will be going there as African Champions after lifting the continental title in Egypt in March.
“This is the first time that we have an U20 team going to a FIFA World Cup as the Champions of Africa and therefore the best football team in Africa – having beaten Nigeria and Morocco in your march to be crowned the African champions. I agree with the Minister, you have it because you play France then the United States and New Caledonia in your group – you must get out of the group and once you get out of the group you have all the options in front of you,” said Dr Jordaan.
“I want to wish you all the best and acknowledge your hard work and contribution starting in Mozambique (COSAFA Cup), then to the AFCON and now going to Chile to the World Cup – it’s a long journey but you are committed and you are focused. On behalf of SAFA, the South Africans and our sponsors, I want to say congratulations, and we are looking forward to seeing this team perform in Chile – all the best.”
For HONOR, linking up with Amajita was a no-brainer, owing to the team’s success and being the future of South African men’s football. The leading provider of smart devices is the proud sponsor of Bafana Bafana.
“It’s our great honour to be here tonight in this send-off celebration for Amajita. Honor is a Chinese company, and from the very beginning when we got to South Africa we wanted to be the bridge between this country and China. Amajita represent the youth, and this was evident when we were at the Mall of Africa with young children wanting photographs with the players – this meant that the team has delivered, by giving hope and uniting everyone,” said Zhou.
“Congratulations on winning the AFCON, you are now off to Chile to fight for the World Cup. We became partners of Bafana Bafana and Amajita since March, and we haven’t lost a game – I know you are going to win. Just get out of your group and there are possibilities, we know you are going to represent South Africa well to a different world,”
The South Africans have been drawn in Group E where they will take on France, debutants New Caledonia and the United States of America in the group stages.
“We know the magnitude of the assignment at hand, and we are taking nothing for granted. We have prepared the best way we can, and we are looking forward to the challenge, which will not be easy, but one thing I can promise is that this team has character and we will fight with everything we have. Thanks to SAFA, the Minister, the South Africans for all the support and we will do the country proud,” said Amajita Head Coach, Raymond Mdaka.
