Amajimbos shine in World Cup opener against Bolivia
South Africa’s U17 men’s national team, Amajimbos, made a dream start to their FIFA U17 World Cup journey with a spirited 3–1 victory over Bolivia at the Aspire Zone Complex in Doha.
Despite going a man down after defender Sive Pama received a red card midway through the first half, South Africa showed grit and composure to dominate large parts of the game. Emile Witbooi opened the scoring shortly before halftime, giving the Amajimbos a deserved lead.
Early in the second half, Neo Bohloko doubled South Africa’s advantage with a clever finish after a fast break, while Bolivia pulled one back through a penalty midway through the half.
Substitute Shaun Els sealed the result deep into stoppage time, capping off an impressive performance by coach Vela Khumalo’s side.
Khumalo praised his players’ resilience and tactical maturity, noting that playing with ten men for much of the game revealed their “fighting spirit and belief.”
The victory puts South Africa on top of their group ahead of matches against Italy and host nation Qatar.
Amajimbos will look to build on this momentum as they aim to progress beyond the group stage for the first time in their history.
South Africa top Group A after matchday one and their next encounters include meetings with Italy and host nation Qatar.
The Amajimbos’ next match will be pivotal as they aim to consolidate their position and progress to the knockout rounds.