# South Africa national under-20 soccer team

The South Africa national under-20 football team (Amajita), is a youth football (soccer) team, which represents South Africa and is controlled by the South African Football Association, the governing body for football in South Africa. The team's main objectives are to qualify and play at the U-20 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) and FIFA U-20 World Cup. The team has played at seven U-20 Africa Cup of Nations tournaments and three FIFA U-20 World Cups.

## History

The team was started in 1993, when SAFA decided to form an under-20 team. The team's greatest achievements to date include a second-place finish at the 1997 African Youth Championship, hosted in Morocco and qualifying for the 1997, 2009 and 2017 FIFA U-20 World Cup and 2019 FIFA U-20 World Cup.
In 2013, they won the 2013 COSAFA U-20 Cup with a 2–0 win against Kenya in the final held in Lesotho.
In 2017, they won the 2017 COSAFA U-20 Cup with a 2–1 win against Lesotho in the final held in Zambia.
In 2018, they won the 2018 COSAFA U-20 Cup against Zimbabwe 4-3 via penalties after the match ended in a 1–1 draw in Zambia.
In 2024, they won their ninth COSAFA U-20 Cup after defeating Zambia 2–0 in the final. They did not concede in the entire tournament and qualified for the 2025 U-20 Africa Cup of Nations.

## Player eligibility

Players who are selected, will be 20 or younger in the following World Cup year. With the next FIFA U-20 World Cup being held in Chile in 2025, players need to have been born on or after 1 January 2005.

## Results and fixtures

The following is a list of match results in the last 12 months, as well as any future matches that have been scheduled.

### Legend

Win  Draw  Loss  Fixture

### 2024
## Current squad

The following 20 players were selected for the 2024 COSAFA U-20 Cup held in Mozambique between 26 September – 5 October 2024:
| No. | Pos. | Player | Club |
| 1 | 1GK | Fletcher Lowe | Estoril Praia |
| 2 | 1GK | Takalani Mazhamba | Kaizer Chiefs |
| 3 | 1GK | Kgoleng Ratisani | Sekhukhune United |
| 4 | 2DF | Mbekezele Mbokazi | Orlando Pirates |
| 5 | 2DF | Tylon Smith | Stellenbosch F.C. |
| 6 | 2DF | Gopolang Taunyana | Kaizer Chiefs |
| 7 | 2DF | Asekho Tiwani | Mamelodi Sundowns |
| 8 | 2DF | Sifiso Timba | Kaizer Chiefs |
| 9 | 3MF | Gomolemo Kekana | Mamelodi Sundowns |
| 10 | 3MF | Ofentse Kgosana | Kaizer Chiefs |
| 11 | 3MF | Mfundo Vilakazi | Kaizer Chiefs |
| 12 | 3MF | Siyabonga Mabena | Mamelodi Sundowns |
| 13 | 3MF | Lazola Maku | SuperSport United |
| 14 | 3MF | Shakeel April | Cape Town City |
| 15 | 3MF | Lefa Autata | TS Galaxy F.C. |
| 16 | 3MF | Shandre Campbell | Club NXT |
| 17 | 3MF | Xhosa Manyama | Cape Town City |
| 18 | 4FW | Emile Witbooi | Cape Town City |
| 19 | 4FW | Kutlwano Letlhaku | Mamelodi Sundowns |
| 20 | 4FW | Thabang Mahlangu | SuperSport United |

### Notable former players

Players who have previously played for the under-20 team, and have since gone on to play for the senior team:
* Benni McCarthy
* Matthew Booth
* Thulani Serero
* Stanton Fredericks
* Thulani Hlatshwayo
* Darren Keet
* Andile Jali
* Junaid Hartley

## Tournament records
### FIFA U-20 World Cup record

U-20 World Cup :
| Hosts/Year | Result | Position | GP | W | D* | L | GS | GA |
| 1977-1993 | Banned | Banned | Banned | Banned | Banned | Banned | Banned | Banned |
| 1995 | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify |
| 1997 | Group Stage | 20th | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 6 |
| 1999 to 2007 | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify |
| 2009 | Round of 16 | 15th | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 8 |
| 2011 | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify |
| 2013 | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify |
| 2015 | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify |
| 2017 | Group Stage | 21st | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 |
| 2019 | Group Stage | 19th | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 7 |
| 2023 | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify |
| 2025 | to be determined | to be determined | to be determined | to be determined | to be determined | to be determined | to be determined | to be determined |
| | Round of 16 | 4/24 | 13 | 1 | 4 | 8 | 11 | 25 |

### U-20 Africa Cup of Nations record

U-20 Africa Cup of Nations :
| Hosts/Year | Result | GP | W | D* | L | GS | GA |
| 1979 to 1993 | did not enter | did not enter | did not enter | did not enter | did not enter | did not enter | did not enter | did not enter |
| 1995 | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify |
| 1997 | Second Place | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 5 |
| 1999 | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify |
| 2001 | Group Stage | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 7 |
| 2003 | Group Stage | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 7 |
| 2005 | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify |
| 2007 | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify |
| 2009 | Fourth Place | 5 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 8 | 9 |
| 2011 | Group Stage | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 6 |
| 2013 | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify |
| 2015 | Group Stage | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 6 |
| 2017 | Fourth Place | 5 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 10 | 9 |
| 2019 | Third Place | 5 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| 2021 | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify |
| 2023 | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify |
| 2025 | Qualified | Qualified | Qualified | Qualified | Qualified | Qualified | Qualified | Qualified |

### COSAFA U-20 Challenge Cup record

COSAFA U-20 Challenge Cup :
| Hosts/Year | Result | GP | W | D* | L | GS | GA |
| 1983 to 1990 | did not enter | did not enter | did not enter | did not enter | did not enter | did not enter | did not enter | did not enter |
| 1993 | Quarter-finals | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 3 |
| 1995 | Second Place | 5 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 3 |
| 1997 | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown |
| 1999 | Second Place | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 15 | 6 |
| 2000 | Champions | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 7 |
| 2001 | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown |
| 2002 | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown |
| 2003 | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown |
| 2004 | Champions | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown |
| 2005 | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown |
| 2006 | Champions | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown |
| 2007 | Second Place | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown |
| 2008 | Champions | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown |
| 2009 | Champions | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 1 |
| 2010 | Group Stage | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown |
| 2011 | Group Stage | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 6 |
| 2013 | Champions | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| 2016 | Second Place | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 16 | 2 |
| 2017 | Champions | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 2 |
| 2018 | Champions | 5 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| 2019 | Second Place | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 12 | 6 |
| 2020 | Group Stage | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 9 | 2 |
| 2022 | Third Place | 5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 11 | 7 |
| 2024 | Champions | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 0 |