Broos urges Amajita to make ‘wise’ career choices
Bafana Bafana head coach Hugo Broos has encouraged Amajita players to choose wisely when they are considering the next steps in their careers.
South Africa’s Under-20 squad landed at OR Tambo International Airport on Tuesday as the Africa Cup of Nations champions after edging Morocco in the final in Cairo on Sunday.
It was revenge for South Africa, which lost its only appearance in the final against Morocco in 1997.
Amajita has also qualified for the 2025 FIFA U20 World Cup, which will take place later this year in Chile, as one of the four U20 AFCON semi-finalists representing the continent at the global event.
The historic triumph and the opportunity to shine on the world stage will have the players dreaming of a glittering career on the football pitch.
However, for this to happen, Broos said the youngsters would need to make the right career decisions.
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"Achieving the top is easy, but staying on the top is much more difficult. Everything starts now for you, you are on the crossroad, [you have to choose to] take the right direction and we see you back in the next months or next year in Bafana Bafana, in big teams, maybe here in South Africa or maybe abroad, or you take the other way and that's the wrong way,” Broos told the media briefing shortly after the players landed back home on Tuesday.
"It's up to you now, you got every opportunity to have a nice life for the next 10 to 12 years as a professional football player and believe me, it's the nicest profession you can imagine, but you still have to work very hard in the next months. Certainly, guys, take the right lifestyle, this is very important to achieve, and I hope I can welcome you in the next months with Bafana Bafana."
Speaking at the same briefing, South African Football Association President Danny Jordaan said soccer teams in the country have shown incredible performances and success recently.
"Our teams have shown incredible performance and success in recent times, and so we have under-17 and under-20 going to the World Cup, we have Bafana Bafana going to AFCON in Morocco, we have Banyana Banyana going to the AFCON in Morocco.
"We had our school's team, the two boys and girls under-15 team, coming back from the school's tournament on the African continent, where our girls won a bronze medal, so all of our teams have performed very well. Of course, we're waiting this week for Mamelodi Sundowns, who're also in the final of the CAF Champions League, and then in June, we'll see Mamelodi Sundowns playing in the top World Cup in the United States.
"So overall, we are very happy, South African football is doing very well, and our achievement speaks for itself."
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