Mdaka ‘not happy’ despite Amajita’s big win at U-20 World Cup

Amajita coach Raymond Mdaka expressed deep dissatisfaction with his team’s execution and tactical discipline, even after they thrashed New Caledonia 5-0 in the 2025 FIFA Under-20 World Cup early Friday morning.

The victory, secured by a brace from Siwelele FC striker Siviwe Magidigidi and single goals from Siviwe Nkwali, Shakeel April, and Lazola Maku, was South Africa’s biggest-ever win at the tournament. Despite the record-breaking result, which keeps them third in Group E (level on points with second-placed France), Mdaka felt his side should have won by a much wider margin.

Why Mdaka Is Unsatisfied After Amajita’s Record Victory

The coach, known for his high standards, was candid about the team’s performance, telling the media: “We will always appreciate and welcome a win. But as the technical team we are not happy.”

“I think it was a game we wanted to win, but we wanted to win with [more] goals and we are not happy in terms of the tactical discipline of our players. We have put in agreements, they know how we are supposed to play, but somewhere, somehow, we lost a number of opportunities where we were supposed to score.”

The former Marumo Gallants coach insisted that the final scoreline betrayed the team’s attacking potential, revealing his frustration with their professionalism in critical moments.

“Sometimes we were supposed to move forward very quickly. Those are the few things I think we need to improve on and allow our players to be professional in terms of how they behave either in attack or in defence,” he added.

“Honestly, this is a team I think should have scored even more than nine or 10 goals, which would put us at an advantage when we go and play the next game.”

The squad featured Kaizer Chiefs midfielder Mfundo Vilakazi, who started and walked away with the Man of the Match award, while Mamelodi Sundowns starlet Siyabonga Mabena started from the bench.

Amajita now face a must-win final Group E clash against the unbeaten USA on Sunday to secure passage to the knockout stages.