Mdaka says his Amajita side have to prepare to their own strengths for Afcon

Raymond Mdaka has warned his South Africa Under-20 troops to avoid playing on their opponents' terms, as that could come back to haunt them in the Africa Youth Championships next month.

Amajita will compete in the U20 AFCON in Ivory Coast, which runs from April 26 to May 18. They have been drawn into Group B alongside Nigeria, Egypt, and Morocco.

To ensure their qualification counts and to progress to the semi-finals — securing a spot in the Fifa Under-20 World Cup in Chile later this year — Amajita have been working hard. They hammered neighbors Botswana 6-0 in a friendly at UJ Soweto Campus on Saturday, taking a huge advantage into the second clash between the two teams at the same venue on Tuesday (10am).

Mdaka was pleased with the result but not the overall performance. Speaking to Safa's media team, he emphasized the importance of playing to their strengths, as that will be crucial at AFCON.

"Not that much," Mdaka said when asked if he was satisfied with his team's performance. "I think we played to the strength of the opponent. I know we should have played much better.

"We were defensive and conservative, with purpose. But I think it got into the players' minds that they were not being challenged much, and that's something we must avoid.

"We always have to dictate the terms. Sometimes, it's fine to score goals, but we need to settle down and control the game.

"We are going to face serious challenges where we are going. If we ease off, we might be in trouble. So it's something we need to get out of our system. In the game, we need to ensure that we focus on our objectives, play with purpose, and make the right decisions for the team."

Mdaka has every reason to demand more from his squad. They won the Cosafa Championship — and qualified for AFCON — by executing their game plan to perfection. And given that AFCON represents their best chance of returning to the global stage for the first time since 2019, they cannot afford to falter.

Mdaka, however, is confident they have enough depth to compete in Ivory Coast, as he believes the squad is well-balanced. Against Botswana, he brought on Kaizer Chiefs' Mfundo Vilakazi and Mamelodi Sundowns' Kutlwano Letlhaku from the bench, and both delivered—Vilakazi scoring a brace.

"We are trying to assess some players in different positions. We had a strong starting XI, but we also wanted to see what other players could offer," Mdaka said.

"It gives us confidence that while we have a solid team on the field, we also have depth on the bench — unlike in situations where we face challenges and look to the bench but don’t see many options.

"We introduced players like Mfundo and Letlhaku — guys who are already playing in their senior teams and who have quality. But it's also about attitude. We need to look at ourselves, stay disciplined, and ensure we make the right decisions on the pitch."