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Defending champions Amajita to face revenge challenge from southern Africa’s best at the Vodacom Cosafa Youth Championships
Durban, Tuesday, 22 November 2005 – SA’s soccer talent will be put to the test when the Vodacom-sponsored Amajita national soccer team, defend their Southern Africa’s premier under 20 soccer title.
The SA Football Association (SAFA) plays host to the Vodacom Council of Southern African Football Associations (Cosafa) Youth championships, in Durban, KwaZulu Natal, from December 3-11.
Following last year’s Vodacom Cosafa Youth championship triumph in Pretoria, the road to glory is expected to be tougher than before. A full complement of Southern African teams, consisting of Angola, Botswana, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Seychelles, Swaziland, Zambia and Zimbabwe, will present a tough challenge to the hosts Vodacom SA’s Executive Director of Corporate Affairs, Mthobi Tyamzashe indicated that Vodacom was delighted to be involved with an event that creates opportunities for Southern Africa’s best youth soccer talent. “We hope that Amajita players will bring soccer glory to SA”, said Tyamzashe.
The Amajita team was the launch- pad for the careers of players like Lebohang Mokoena (Orlando Pirates) and Steven Pienaar (Ajax Amsterdam) among others. Both players proceeded to even greater heights in the Bafana Bafana jersey.
SAFA President Molefi Oliphant thanked Vodacom for their continued commitment towards the Vodacom Cosafa Youth Championships and assured soccer fans of being able to witness the passion and flair of southern Africa soccer at its best during the eight days of matches in Durban.
“The Vodacom Cosafa Youth Championships is the longest running competition in the 11-year-history of Cosafa, and the fact that a full compliment of teams from the southern region of Africa is set to take part in the tournament, is a sign of how much prestige is attached to the annual event,” said Oliphant.
MEC: Sport and Recreation, KwaZulu Natal, Amichand Rajbansi welcomed all of the participating countries to the KwaZulu Natal province, in support of the Vodacom Cosafa Youth championship, describing it as a catylst towards SA’s hosting of the Fifa 2010 World Cup.
“KwaZulu Natal soccer is set to receive a major developmental boost through the coaching clinics set to be conducted by the visiting and local under 20 national team players during their stay in the province for the Vodacom Cosafa Youth championships,” said Rajbansi.
“This forms part of KwaZulu Natal’s strategy in the build up to the Fifa 2010 World Cup, by keeping young people involved in soccer.”
Cosafa President Ishmael Bhamjee promised the visiting teams the kind of warm hospitality that South Africa is well- known for.
“The SA under 20 side showed at last year’s Vodacom Cosafa Youth championships held in Gauteng, just how tough they are to play against on home turf. Other Southern African nations took note and will be out to raise their level of play, to ensure that this year’s tournament goes down as one of the highest quality,” said Bhamjee.
The teams will be drawn into three groups, with Group A and B consisting of four teams each, and Group C of five countries. Following the playing of group matches during the week, Friday, December 9 will see Winner B facing Winner C, and Winner A taking on the best placed runner up team from the three groups, in a bid to reach the climax of the competition.
The Vodacom Cosafa youth championship 3rd and 4th place play-off (14h00 kickoff) and final (16h30 kickoff), will take place at the Princess Magogo stadium on Sunday, December 11.
The first day’s fixtures and opening ceremony of the Vodacom Cosafa Youth championships will take place at the Sugar Ray Xulu stadium on Saturday, December 3. Other venues to host matches during the week, include Chatsworth, Princess Magogo and King Zwelithini stadiums.