From continental triumph to the global stage: SA U20 Ready for World Cup
South Africa’s U20 head coach, Raymod Mdaka is ready for the team’s opening match at the FIFA U-20 World Cup as he reflected on a journey built on careful planning, hard work, and belief in the squad.
When asked about leading South Africa at a World Cup, the coach was measured. “A lot of people would see it as a celebration, but to me it becomes a challenge. You always think of how much you can achieve, how best you can do it. It’s a blessing, an opportunity…but an achievement would be if we end up maybe getting a silverware out of that.”
The journey to Chile has been long and deliberate, spanning preparatory camps at home and regional competitions. “We had objectives, long-term and short-term. One of the long-term objectives was to see if the country could qualify for the World Cup, which we have achieved now,” he explained.
Winning the TotalEnergies CAF U20 Africa Cup of Nations was a milestone, but the coach noted that the team’s focus was always on realistic and achievable goals.
“We never thought of lifting the trophy and becoming champions in Africa… we felt what was achievable was to qualify for the World Cup. And indeed, we went beyond that.”
Central to this success has been the consistency of the technical and support staff.
“The technical team has never changed. We mostly know how we operate, and the effort put in by everyone, including the support staff, has been tremendous. It shows that any structure can work for positive results if everyone buys in,” he said.
The coach also highlighted how the squad has matured.
“I will always attest to the Mozambique game. It showed the kind of players that we have. When we beat Malawi in the first game, people doubted us, but we surprised them. That’s when we realized the character and talent in this group. The only thing left was to work on the next level—the technical understanding, which is more complex.”
Looking ahead, the coach is optimistic about the future of South African football. “If we get the right structures, right people, right plans, and support, there’s a brighter future. Qualifying and playing in the World Cup was out of very good effort from everyone involved.”
As South Africa prepares for their first match, the focus remains on performance. For the coach, being at the World Cup is a moment to appreciate—but the ultimate goal is still to translate preparation into results on the global stage.
Drawn in Group E, South Africa will come up against the USA, New Caledonia and European giants France, whom they will open their campaign against on Monday evening.