FIFA U-17 World Cup: Witbooi scores again as South Africa draw with hosts Qatar

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FIFA U-17 World Cup: Witbooi scores again as South Africa draw with hosts Qatar

South Africa’s U-17 national team, Amajimbos, came from behind to earn a 1–1 draw against hosts Qatar in their second Group A encounter at the 2025 FIFA U-17 World Cup in Doha.

After a confidence-boosting 3–1 win over Bolivia in their opening match, Amajimbos entered the clash with momentum, while Qatar were looking to bounce back from a narrow 1–0 defeat to Italy.

Qatar made a dream start, with Yazan Mohamed opening the scoring in just the 3rd minute, capitalizing on a fast-paced attack that caught the South African defense off guard.

But the lead was short-lived. In the 16th minute, South African star Emile Witbooi — already on the scoresheet in the previous match — produced a sublime finish to level the score at 1–1. The teams went into the break deadlocked.

The second half saw both sides pushing for a winner. Captain Kamohelo Mareletse led from the front, testing the Qatari goalkeeper with a series of efforts, while Witbooi came close to netting his third goal of the tournament but couldn’t convert his chances.

Despite the attacking intent, clear-cut opportunities became scarce, and both goalkeepers stood tall to deny any late drama. The match ended in a hard-fought draw.

Group A Standings Update

The result sees South Africa move to second place in Group A with four points, trailing leaders Italy, who made it two wins from two with a commanding 4–0 victory over Bolivia.

Italy’s goals came from Simone Lontani, Samuele Inacio, Destiny Elimoghale, and Fabio Pandolfi, while both Inacio and Bolivia’s Jesus Maraude missed penalties in a dramatic encounter.

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FIFA U-17 Group A standings

Amajimbos next match?

South Africa next match is a decisive final group match against Italy. A win will secure a place in the knockout stages for Vela Khumalo’s side, while a draw could still be enough, depending on the outcome of Qatar vs Bolivia.

<!-- Author Start -->Joel Oliver<!-- Author End -->

Joel Oliver

Author

Joel Oliver is a seasoned multimedia sports journalist with a rich background in covering diverse football stories and events in South Africa and beyond.
His extensive coverage spans subjects touching on the PSL, with a focus on the Big Three (Orlando Pirates, Kaizer Chiefs & Mamelodi Sundowns), Bafana Bafana and Banyana Banyana.

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