South Africa’s young footballers have reached the Last 32 at the Fifa Under-17 World Cup, despite losing their final group game 3-1 against Italy in Al Rayyan, Qatar.
With hosts Qatar unable to beak down Bolivia in a 0-0 draw, that meant that South Africa qualified second on the table behid Italy and reached for the knockouts after one win, one draw and one defeat.
Samuele Inacio gave Italy the lead in the fourth minute but Amajimbos fought back into the game via Shaun Els’ equaliser in the 32nd.
The 2024 European U17 Championship winners dismantled South Africa with two quick, excellently-worked goals back from the break by Antonio Arena in the 55th and Inacio again in the 58th.
Coach Vela Khumalo’s South Africans, who were competitive against an Italian combination packed with players from the youth structures of Europe’s biggest clubs, will take hope from the performance against whoever they meet in their knockout clash.
This year’s U17 World Cup was expanded from 24 teams to 48 for the first time.
Italy dominated chances in the opening half but South Africa fought, defended and made sure they kept themselves in the game, earning a 1-1 share of the spoils by the break after a frenetically-paced opening 45 minutes.
Italy coach Massimiliano Favo had his team keyed up and newly strategised with a more calculated, measured approach back from the break.
They took the lead with another clinically-worked goal, Maccaroni’s accurate corner finding AS Roma forward Arena to rise above the defence and head past Radebe.
Three minutes later the Italians dismantled South Africa with a sweeping, precise movement, substitute Destiny Elimoghale making the running down the left channel before finding Arena down the left who looked up and squared to Inacio to sweep in his second.
