Johannesburg- Captain of the South African Men’s Under 17 National Team (Amajimbos) Nelson Maluleke believes they have what it takes to beat Tanzania.

The two nations meet in a 2015 African Youth Championship qualifier on Friday, 18 July at the Azam Stadium in Dar es Salaam. Kickoff is at 15h00 South African time.

“The coaching staff has been working hard to prepare us thoroughly for this match. We went to Lesotho and Botswana as individuals because we had just met but now we are playing as a unit as the results showed. I believe we now know each other better and that gives us confidence that we will do well,” said Maluleke commonly known as Xavi among his teammates, named after Spanish and Barcelona midfield maestro Xavi Hernandez.

For most of the players in the Amajimbos squad it was the first time they crossed the border out of South Africa when they went to Botswana and Lesotho, and it helped in preparing them mentally for Tanzania.

“Going to Lesotho and Botswana was a worthwhile exercise. We had never played in front of away opposition fans before and that helped us mentally to ready us for the crucial clash against Tanzania. We have now settled in well in the team and continue from where we left off in our last match in Botswana. All of us want to play in the World Cup and we know the path to realizing that dream starts with these qualifiers. That is why we have to do well from the beginning,” added Maluleke.

Should Amajimbos proceed to the third round, they will face either Egypt or Congo who will also play their first leg tie this weekend.

Egypt defeated Sudan with an aggregate 7-3 victory to set up a clash with Congo, who received a bye into the second round just like South Africa.

The top four sides in Niger will represent Africa at the FIFA U17 World Cup in Chile.

South Africa is yet to qualify for a FIFA tournament at this age group in the Men’s section, but Basetsana, the Women’s U17 National Team, played at the FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup in Trinidad and Tobago in 2010.
-TDN
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