The Team SA football boys are the Region 5 Youth Games champions after a dominant 3-0 over Malawi at UNAM Stadium in Windhoek. The girls played the game before and secured the silver medal after an unlucky 2-0 loss to Zambia, writes Mark Lemke.
The boys, all under-17s, took the lead in the fifth minute when Emile Witbooi whipped a free kick towards the back post, where central defender Njabulo Mzimela smashed home the opener.
Malawi grew into the game but were unable to create a threat and play remained balanced until half-time.
The second half was an onslaught from the South Africans as they created chance after chance. They finally doubled their advantage in the 63rdx minute. Again, Witbooi was the catalyst. The No10 dribbled his way into the box from the left and cut it across for Simphiwe Mlondo, who finished with an improvised back heel into an empty net.
Team South Africa continued to dominate with every attack going through Witbooi. The third goal came in the 75th minute when he found himself in the box, face to face with two defenders. The talented winger scooped the ball over their legs and into the path of Omphemetse Sekgoto who finished calmly.
The final 15 minutes were spent entertaining the South African supporters with exciting dribbling, skills and flair passes. Full-time arrived (although the crowd wished for the game to go on forever) and Team SA were crowned deserving champions.
The man of the match and star of the side, Witbooi, gave his thoughts after the dominant performance. “It was a great match. We had so much fun playing in this atmosphere. We are ready for the World Cup, even if it started tomorrow, we would be ready for it and we cannot wait for it to come.”
Captain fantastic, Bokamoso Mokokosi, spoke about his team’s golden campaign. “This tournament is a big boost for us ahead of the World Cup. Playing as under-17s against under-20s was challenging but I am very proud of the boys. We are ready for what’s next.”
The girls had a rematch against their opening game opponents, Zambia, for the gold medal. The first half was cagey, the closest chance coming South Africa’s way when captain Katleho Malebana struck the post from range.
In the second half, the South Africans were in control and looking the most threatening, however, Zambia opened the scoring in the 73rd minute, capitalising off a corner.
The wind picked up against Team SA which made it difficult to generate powerful forward passes and shots. With the last kick of the game, Zambia powered a near 40-yard free kick into the top corner to cement their win.
Photo: Frennie Shivambu
