South Africa national under-17 soccer team

This article is about the men's team. For the women's team, see South Africa women's national under-17 soccer team.

South Africa under-17
NicknameAmajimbos
AssociationSouth African
Football Association
ConfederationCAF (Africa)
Sub-confederationCOSAFA
Head coach Vela Khumalo
CaptainKamohelo Mareletse
Most capsEmile Witbooi
(37 caps)
Top scorerNeo Bohloko
(16 goals)
Home stadiumFNB Stadium
FIFA codeRSA
First colours
Second colours
First international
 South Africa 3–1  Zimbabwe
(1995)
Biggest win
 South Africa 7–0  Comoros
(18 September 2025)
Biggest defeat
 Senegal 5–0  South Africa
(10 May 2023)
U-17 Africa Cup of Nations
Appearances5 (first in 2005)
Best result Runners-Up (2015)
COSAFA U-17 Youth Championship
Appearances12 (first in 1994)
Best result Champions (1994), (2002), (2020), and (2025)
FIFA U-17 World Cup
Appearances2 (first in 2015)
Best resultRound of 32 (2025)
Websitehttps://www.safa.net/

The South Africa national under-17 football team, nicknamed Amajimbos, is a youth football (soccer) team, which represents South Africa at under-17 level 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-17 Africa Cup of Nations and FIFA U-17 World Cup and develop the players for South Africa national soccer team.[1]

History

FIFA U-17 World Cup

The team's greatest achievement to date include a second-place finish at the 2015 African U-17 Championship, hosted in Niger and qualifying for the 2015 FIFA U-17 World Cup in Chile.[2]

In 2025, ten years after they made their FIFA U-17 World Cup debut, they qualified for the 2025 FIFA U-17 World Cup in Qatar after reaching the quarterfinals of the 2025 U-17 Africa Cup of Nations.[3][4] The team became the first South African team to win their first match at the world cup when they won 3–1 against Bolivia despite being a man down.[5] They made it past the group stages for the first team reaching the round of 32 where they lost 3–0 to Japan.[6]

U-17 Africa Cup of Nations

At the 2025 U-17 Africa Cup of Nations they exited in the quarterfinals with a 3–1 loss to hosts Morocco after finishing as runners-up in Group B (1 loss, 1 win, and a draw).[7] The team qualified for their second FIFA U-17 World Cup in Qatar.[8]

FIFA U/16 Talent Development Scheme Tournament

In 2024, they were invited to play at the FIFA U/16 Talent Development Scheme Tournament held in Ivory Coast. The team finished with 2 wins and 1 loss.[9][10][11]

COSAFA U-17 Cup

They won the 2020 COSAFA U-17 Cup 4–2 via penalties after the match ended in a 1–1 draw against Zambia.[12] At the 2022 COSAFA U-17 Challenge Cup, they lost 1–0 in the final to Zambia.[13][14] They won their fourth COSAFA title in 2025 defeating Angola 2–1 in the final.[15]

Current squad

The following 21 players were selected for the 2025 FIFA U-17 World Cup held in Qatar between 3-21 November 2025:

No. Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Club
1 1GK Lwandiso Radebe (2009-03-25)25 March 2009 (aged 16) Mamelodi Sundowns
3 2DF Lunje Noqobo (2008-03-16)16 March 2008 (aged 17) Kaizer Chiefs
4 2DF Liam Marithinus (2008-02-27)27 February 2008 (aged 17) Mamelodi Sundowns
5 4FW Luke Hendricks (2008-03-23)23 March 2008 (aged 17) Ubuntu Cape Town
6 3MF Kamohelo Maraletse (2008-09-21)21 September 2008 (aged 17) Mamelodi Sundowns
7 4FW Selwyn Stevens (2008-02-15)15 February 2008 (aged 17) Mamelodi Sundowns
8 3MF Teboho Mlangeni (2008-01-19)19 January 2008 (aged 17) Kaizer Chiefs
9 4FW Shaun Els (2008-05-11)11 May 2008 (aged 17) Kaizer Chiefs
10 4FW Emile Witbooi (2008-08-29)29 August 2008 (aged 17) Cape Town City
11 2DF Alwande Booysen (2008-05-06)6 May 2008 (aged 17) Lamontville Golden Arrows
12 4FW Tumi Mothapo-Bowes (2008-05-15)15 May 2008 (aged 17) Orlando Pirates
13 2DF Omphemetse Sekgoto (2010-03-11)11 March 2010 (aged 15) Mamelodi Sundowns
14 2DF Abulele Dlekedla (2008-07-15)15 July 2008 (aged 17) Cape Town City
15 4FW Neo Bohloko (2008-04-01)1 April 2008 (aged 17) Kaizer Chiefs
16 1GK Keabetswe Morake (2009-01-19)19 January 2009 (aged 16) Kaizer Chiefs
17 3MF Joshua Taylor (2008-07-28)28 July 2008 (aged 17) Cape Town City
18 4FW Will Henson (2008-04-03)3 April 2008 (aged 17) SuperSport United
19 4FW Lebo Dhlamini (2008-04-11)11 April 2008 (aged 17) Kaizer Chiefs
20 1GK Sello Mokhobo (2008-01-03)3 January 2008 (aged 17) Virginia Sports Academy
21 4FW Lebogang Mswane (2008-03-21)21 March 2008 (aged 17) Mamelodi Sundowns

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

16 August Friendly South Africa  4–0  Lesotho Soweto, South Africa
15:00 CAT
  • Pama 10'
  • Stevens 21'
  • Mhlangeni 26'
  • Mgoqi 62'
 Stadium: UJ Soweto Stadium
18 August Friendly South Africa  3–1  Lesotho Soweto, South Africa
  • Bohloko 45'
  • Dlamini 59'
  • Witbooi 61'
  • Skhosana 35'
 Stadium: UJ Soweto Stadium
3 September FIFA U/16 TDS Algeria  4–7  South Africa Bingerville, Ivory Coast
  • Stevens 8' 90+'
  • Bohloko 40' 57'
  • Pama 43'
  • Witbooi 59' 69'
 Stadium: Stade Municipal
5 September FIFA U/16 TDS South Africa  1–1
(4–3 p)		  Tanzania Bingerville, Ivory Coast
  • Bohloko 90+'
 Stadium: Stade Municipal
7 September FIFA U/16 TDS Morocco  1–0  South Africa Bingerville, Ivory Coast
Stadium: Stade Municipal
5 December COSAFA U-17 South Africa  4–0  Botswana Johannesburg, South Africa
15:00
  • Stevens 6' (pen.)
  • Witbooi 13'
  • Maraletse 49'
  • Bohloko 66'
 Stadium: UJ Stadium Auckland Park
7 December COSAFA U-17 South Africa  3–0  Comoros Johannesburg, South Africa
15:00
  • Stevens 6'
  • Maraletse 64'
  • Sekgoto 86'
 Stadium: UJ Stadium Auckland park
9 December COSAFA U-17 South Africa  3–2  Mauritius Johannesburg, South Africa
15:00
  • Pama 8'
  • Bohloko 10'
  • Sekgoto 13'
  • Rabaye 53'
  • Ravina 87' (pen.)
 Stadium: UJ Stadium Auckland Park
11 December COSAFA U-17 South Africa  1–2  Zambia Johannesburg, South Africa
15:00
  • Mlondo 1'
  • Nyirongo 22' (pen.)
  • R. Banda 68'
 Stadium: UJ Stadium Auckland Park

2025

31 March AFCON U-17 South Africa  4–3  Egypt Casablanca, Morocco
20:00
  • Anas Roshdi 4', 13'
  • Hamza Abdel Karim 18'
 Stadium: Larbi Zaouli Stadium
Referee: Leonidas da Graça (Cape Verde)
3 April AFCON U-17 Cameroon  0–0  South Africa Casablanca, Morocco
14:00 Stadium: Larbi Zaouli Stadium
Referee: Brahamou Sadou Ali (Niger)
6 April AFCON U-17 Burkina Faso  2–0  South Africa Casablanca, Morocco
17:00
Stadium: Larbi Zaouli Stadium
Referee: Aline Umutoni (Rwanda)
10 April AFCON U-17 Morocco  2–1  South Africa Mohammedia, Morocco
20:00
  • El Aoud 13'
  • Baha 61', 62'
 Bohloko 54' Stadium: El Bachir Stadium
Referee: Brahamou Sadou Ali (Niger)
12 September COSAFA U-17 Zambia  0–4  South Africa Harare, Zimbabwe
15:00 Stadium: Mwos Ngoni Stadium
14 September COSAFA U-17 South Africa  5–1  Madagascar Harare, Zimbabwe
12:00 Stadium: Mwos Ngoni Stadium
16 September COSAFA U-17 Malawi  1–4  South Africa Harare, Zimbabwe
15:00 Stadium: Mwos Ngoni Stadium
18 September COSAFA U-17 South Africa  7–0  Comoros Harare, Zimbabwe
12:00 Stadium: Mwos Ngoni Stadium
20 September COSAFA U-17 South Africa  2–1  Angola Harare, Zimbabwe
14:00 Stadium: Mwos Ngoni Stadium
3 November FIFA U-17 World Cup South Africa  3–1  Bolivia Al Rayyan, Qatar
Witbooi 38'

Bohloko 50'

Els 90+5'		 Maraude 72' (p) Stadium: Aspire Zone
6 November FIFA U-17 World Cup Qatar  1–1  South Africa Al Rayyan, Qatar
Mohamed 3' Witbooi 16' Stadium: Aspire Zone
9 November FIFA U-17 World Cup Italy  3–1  South Africa Al Rayyan, Qatar
Inacio 4,58' Arena 55' Els 38' Stadium: Aspire Zone
15 November FIFA U-17 World Cup Japan  3–0  South Africa Al Rayyan, Qatar
 Stadium: Aspire Zone

Competitive record

COSAFA U-17 Championship

COSAFA U-17 Challenge Cup record
Year Round Pld W D* L GS GA GD
2016 Runners-Up 5 4 0 1 11 1 +10
2017 Fourth place 5 3 0 1 11 11 0
2018 Runners-Up 5 3 1 1 8 3 +5
2019 Group Stage 3 0 1 2 1 11 +19
2020 Champions 5 3 1 1 7 6 +1[12]
2021 Did not participate
2022 Runners-Up 5 3 0 2 17 3 +14
2024 Semi-finalist 4 3 0 1 11 4 +7
2025 Champions 5 5 0 0 22 3 +19[15]
Total 37 24 3 9 88 41

See also

References

  1. ^ "SA U17 team ultimate aim is to qualify for FIFA World Cup – SABC News – Breaking news, special reports, world, business, sport coverage of all South African current events. Africa's news leader". SABC News - Breaking news, special reports, world, business, sport coverage of all South African current events. Africa\'s news leader. 18 April 2023. Retrieved 24 December 2023.
  2. ^ "FIFA U-17 World Cup Chile 2015™: South Africa". www.fifa.com. Retrieved 8 December 2023.
  3. ^ "South Africa qualify for World Cup finals and progress to Afcon quarter-finals despite defeat to Burkina Faso | Goal.com South Africa". www.goal.com. 6 April 2025. Retrieved 7 April 2025.
  4. ^ Mokhesi, Tokelo (7 April 2025). "What Vela Khumalo said after Amajimbos' World Cup qualification". FARPost. Retrieved 7 April 2025.
  5. ^ "After 10-man Amajimbos slay Bolivia, Khumalo frets over recovery for Qatar". TimesLIVE. 4 November 2025. Retrieved 16 November 2025.
  6. ^ "Historical journey comes to an end! Injured Mamelodi Sundowns starlet shines but South Africa fall to Japan in U17 World Cup Round of 32 showdown | Goal.com South Africa". www.goal.com. 15 November 2025. Retrieved 16 November 2025.
  7. ^ "TotalEnergies CAF U-17 AFCON – Morocco vs South Africa: The Lion Cubs take on skilful Amajimbos". TotalEnergies CAF U-17 AFCON – Morocco vs South Africa: The Lion Cubs take on skilful Amajimbos. Retrieved 13 April 2025.
  8. ^ "South Africa's national team Amajimbos qualify for FIFA Under-17 World Cup". Primedia Plus. Retrieved 13 April 2025.
  9. ^ Gcwabe, Ongama (31 August 2024). "SuperSport Schools Plus | Amajimbos jet off to Fifa u17 TDS Nations Tournament". SuperSport Schools Plus. Retrieved 7 September 2024.
  10. ^ Pongco, Siya (6 September 2024). "SuperSport Schools Plus | Amajimbos win again in Côte d'Ivoire". SuperSport Schools Plus. Retrieved 7 September 2024.
  11. ^ "Vela Khumalo lauds the preparation of Amajimbos as the project starts to take shape | soccer". SABC. 17 August 2024. Retrieved 3 December 2024.
  12. ^ a b "EN, FR, PR: South Africa win COSAFA Qualifiers for TOTAL U-17 AFCON, Morocco 2021!". 29 November 2020. Retrieved 3 December 2024.
  13. ^ Kanjere, Peter (12 December 2022). "COSAFA Championship joy for SA girls, heartbreak for Amajimbos". FARPost. Retrieved 3 December 2024.
  14. ^ "Coach Khumalo names final Amajimbos squad for COSAFA Youth Championships - SAFA.net". 29 November 2024. Retrieved 3 December 2024.
  15. ^ a b Mabuka, Dennis (21 September 2025). "South Africa crowned COSAFA U17 champions after win over Angola - Africa Top Sports". Retrieved 21 September 2025.

Head-to-head record

The following table shows South Africa's head-to-head record in the FIFA U-17 World Cup.

Opponent Pld W D L GF GA GD Win %
 Costa Rica 1 0 0 1 1 2 −1 000.00
 North Korea 1 0 1 0 1 1 +0 000.00
 Russia 1 0 0 1 0 2 −2 000.00
Total 3 0 1 2 2 5 −3 000.00
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