Amajiita defied the odds to go all the way and win the U20 Africa Cup of Nations played in Egypt recently.
En route to the final, the South Africa U20 team beat a fancied Nigeria side in the semi-final before beating Morocco in the last hurdle. The youngsters have now qualified for the 2025 Fifa U20 World Cup in Chile, where they have been put in Group E alongside the USA, France, and New Caledonia.
Some football-loving fans in the country have been asking whether some of the youngsters can be drafted into the senior team ahead of the resumption of the 2026 Fifa World Cup qualifiers in September, and later on the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations. However, Broos has explained why that might not be realistic, at least not now.
‘I don’t think we have to rush with those guys’
“I don’t think we have to rush with those guys. They are young, they achieved a fantastic result by winning the Afcon. But we don’t have to think now suddenly that they already have the level of Bafana Bafana player. This is very much too soon for that,” he told the media.
“So, secondly, there is a World Cup. I think it’s much better for them now that they still play the World Cup again in two or three months, and to have that experience again of international experience on their level. We don’t have to underestimate the World Cup.
“They will play against very good teams, against very good players. For them, is a new experience and I think it’s much better to give them that experience than to call them immediately already for Bafana Bafana.
“I’m sure they don’t have the level for the moment of Bafana Bafana; they don’t have it, and it’s impossible. They are 18, 19, and 17 years old. So, it’s much better that they can have experience at their level.”
‘There won't be teenagers at Afcon’
“For Afcon, we don’t have to think that there will be players from minus-20 already with the selection of Afcon, this is too high for them immediately. But then after that, looking to ‘touch wood’ that we qualify for the World Cup, then we can think about maybe one, two or three players to take with us to the World Cup and to give them that experience,” the Belgian continued.
“But you have to be very careful with the young players and certainly with players like them who won an Afcon. Everybody’s thinking now, suddenly, that we have, and I exaggerate now that we have all Yamals and the young Messis; no, we are not that far.
“So, give them time because when we call them too soon, maybe I break their career because they are not ready. And everybody will say, oh, well, they are not so good. we don’t do that. It’s time enough, and they concentrate now on the World Cup, and then after Afcon, we will see what we will do with them.
“But if for sure, if they can confirm again in the World Cup their performance, then everything is open after Afcon.”
