Amajita thrash New Caledonia, but Mdaka demands tactical discipline

South Africa secured their first victory at the U20 FIFA World Cup with a commanding 5-0 win over New Caledonia on Friday morning (SAST). This historic result, marked Amajita’s second win in U20 World Cup history, their first coming in 2009 against Honduras.

Coach Raymond Mdaka made bold changes to his starting XI, handing opportunities to attacking talents Mfundo Vilakazi and Siviwe Magidigidi, while Jody Ah Shene and Kutlwano Letlhaku were rotated to the bench.

Yet despite the convincing scoreline, Mdaka struck a cautious tone post-match, emphasizing tactical shortcomings and missed opportunities.

“We’ll always appreciate and welcome a win. As much as the technical team, we’re not happy. I think it’s a game that just wanted us to win, but we wanted to win with goals and we’re not happy in terms of the tactical discipline of our players.” Mdaka said.

While South Africa created a flurry of chances, the coach lamented the lack of efficiency in front of goal, suggesting the team should have scored “nine or ten goals” to build a stronger goal difference advantage ahead of the USA on Sunday.

The pressing and movement in transition were also points of concern for the technical bench. On several occasions, Amajita failed to capitalize on numerical superiority in attack, hesitating in the final third and misplacing passes in dangerous zones.

In defense, lapses in shape and concentration gave New Caledonia brief opportunities to break through, something Mdaka insists must be corrected against stronger opposition.

“They know how we’re supposed to play but somewhere somehow we lost a number of opportunities where we were supposed to score, somewhere we were supposed to move forward very quickly. Those are the few things we need to improve and allow our players to be professional in terms of how they behave in attack or in defense.” he added.

Despite the criticisms, the victory underlined South Africa’s attacking potential and squad depth. Vilakazi’s creativity, coupled with Magidigidi’s direct running, provided a new dimension to the frontline, while the midfield ensured sustained pressure throughout the game.

Looking ahead, South Africa will need to translate that offensive intent into a more tactically disciplined performance when they face the United States on Sunday night.

The clash promises to be a sterner test of Amajita’s structure, decision-making, and ability to maintain intensity for 90 minutes.