Amajita and Zambia meet in COSAFA Cup semi-final with U20 AFCON place at stake

South Africa’s U20 side, Amajita, will face Zambia in a COSAFA Cup semi-final at the ABB 1 Stadium in Matola, Mozambique, on Friday at 12pm, with a place in the final and qualification for next year’s U20 Africa Cup of Nations in Ghana on the line.

Both teams reached the last four with perfect records, winning all three of their group matches. The semi-final therefore brings together two unbeaten sides, but they have taken contrasting routes to the knockout stage.

Amajita have built their progress on defensive strength and are yet to concede a goal in the tournament. Zambia, meanwhile, have impressed in attack, scoring eight times across their three group games.

South Africa defender Cayden Fortune said the team’s defensive record had been built through unity and discipline throughout each match.

“We stacked together in each match and every moment in the games. We played as a team. Lazola [Maku], our captain, kept us together and kept us fighting,” Fortune said.

The conditions and the demands of the tournament will provide an additional challenge for both teams. Midfielder Egan Freese acknowledged that facing Zambia after three group matches would be difficult, particularly because of the heat and the state of the pitch.

“Meeting Zambia in the semifinal obviously won’t be easy, considering the heat and the conditions of the pitch and how many games we’ve played so far,” Freese said.

“But we are ready, we are fresh, and some players have been rested.”

South Africa coach Raymond Madaka also emphasised the importance of ensuring his squad recovered properly after playing three matches in a short period.

He said Zambia were among the strongest teams in the competition and that both sides were familiar with each other.

“We are playing one of the strongest teams, we know them, they know us very well,” Madaka said.

“We played them last year but it was in the final, and we also played them during the Afcon where we drew.”

Madaka said his priority would be to concentrate on his own team while managing the workload of players who had featured in every match.

“We have to focus on our team, and also try to manage the recovery of some boys because some of them have been playing throughout, something that they might not be used to,” he said.

Friday’s winners will advance to the COSAFA Cup final and confirm their place at the U20 Africa Cup of Nations in Ghana next year.