Thabo Senong, the coach of South African Under-20 men’s team, Amajita, is confident that his team will reach the semi-finals of the CAF African Youth Championships (AYC) and qualify for the World Cup.

Amajita will start their AYC campaign against Ghana today at 6.30pm, SA time.

“We have been here for quite some time and we are all raring to go. The morale is good and the boys are well-focused,” said Senong.

“Ghana are a tough side, but we are equally good, so I am expecting an exciting match on today.”

Meanwhile, Amajita captain Madisha Modjeka said the rivalry between Ghana and South Africa would add some spice in this clash.

“We know what happened at the Africa Cup of Nations in Equatorial Guinea and it would be nice to get even on Monday. It won’t be easy considering the Ghanaians’ reputation in junior tournaments, but I presume if we want to be the best on the continent and even the world, we should stand up against the so-called giants.”

Madisha added that the entire nation will be hoping for Amajita to repeat the heroics produced by Amajimbos (SA Under-17 men’s team) who reached the final of the Caf Under-17 African Junior championships in Niger.

After playing Ghana, Amajita’s next match will be against Mali on Thursday.

They will then round off their group stage campaign with a clash against Zambia on Sunday.