FIFA U-20 World Cup: Mdaka identifies Colombia’s weaknesses Amajita can exploit

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FIFA U-20 World Cup: Mdaka identifies Colombia’s weaknesses Amajita can exploit

South Africa U20 Men’s National Team head coach Raymond Mdaka believes his side has identified key areas to exploit when they face Colombia in the Round of 16 at the FIFA U20 World Cup in Chile.

Amajita, who finished second in Group E with six points after wins over New Caledonia (5-0) and tournament favourites USA (2-1), now face a disciplined Colombian outfit that topped Group F unbeaten, following a 1-0 win over Saudi Arabia and draws against Norway and Nigeria.

Speaking to SAFA.net, Mdaka said his technical team has done their homework and sees tactical opportunities despite Colombia’s strong defensive record.

We have identified where to exploit

“We’ve been watching Colombia closely since the draw was confirmed. They’re a smart, well-structured team, very disciplined in their formation,” said Mdaka. 

“But like any side, they leave spaces and we’ve identified areas we believe we can exploit. They don’t concede easily, but there are moments in transition and positioning that we can take advantage of.”

Mdaka emphasized that while Colombia presents a new challenge, especially as South America’s style differs from what Amajita has faced so far, his players are ready to adapt, “This will be our first South American opponent in the tournament, and the style of play will be different. But we’ve built a team with character players who can adapt quickly to different tactical demands.

“That’s what we’ve been working on, and we’re confident we can rise to the occasion.”

Kick-Off Time

The match kicks off on Wednesday, 8 October at 21h30 (SA time) at Estadio Fiscal de Talca.

Amajita will be aiming to make history by reaching the quarterfinals, where Spain awaits the winner. The Europeans edged Ukraine 1-0 in their Round of 16 clash.

South African Football Association (SAFA) President Dr Danny Jordaan praised the team’s progress, noting their historic achievement of winning two matches at a FIFA World Cup a first for any South African national team.

South Africa remains one of three African nations still in contention, alongside Nigeria and Morocco. Egypt has been eliminated.

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Willis Sob

Author

Willis Sob is an experienced journalist who has been in the game since 2009, covering major assignments around the continent.
His hunger for African football is unmatched, always getting the best angles and facts to feed the fans and quench their thirst.

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