South Africa’s Amajimbos suffered a 5-0 loss at the hands of Senegal in the quarter-finals of the TotalEnergies U17 Africa Cup of Nations at the Nelson Mandela Stadium in Algiers on Wednesday, leading to their exit from the tournament. The loss also meant the end of their hopes for a World Cup place. However, South Africa’s coach Duncan Crowie says that his team will take lessons from their defeat and work to improve their strategy.
Crowie was impressed with the fighting spirit of his team and said that they will learn from their defeat. He believes that this is a tough lesson but the team can take it in. Crowie highlighted that they faced a very good team with dangerous individual players. The South African coach informed that they tried to stop them but they couldn’t succeed. Crowie added that the result was a disappointment for them, and nobody wants to lose 5-0. According to him, Senegal had very good physically able players with good speed.
The South African team lost confidence after conceding two own goals in quick succession. Crowie said that it did a lot of damage to the players’ psychological state, and they failed to recover in time. This allowed Senegal to add a third and go into the break with a 3-0 lead. However, he did not blame anyone for the defeat, even the players who scored own goals.
Crowie appreciates the efforts of the players and believes that if nurtured, the players have the potential to make the next steps in their careers. He also said that the players could stake claim of places in the senior Bafana Bafana squad in the next few years.
In conclusion, the South African team’s defeat was a tough lesson, but Crowie is optimistic about their future. The team must take the lessons from the loss to improve their strategy and stay motivated in their future matches. Crowie, along with the South African team, looks forward to their upcoming matches with positivity.
