Mdaka commends DDC following the AFCON victory

Raymond Mdaka, head coach of the South African U20 team, has presented the DSTV Diski Challenge (DDC) its flowers following Amajita’s victory at the U20 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Egypt.

Many of the Amajita team this year play in the DDC, a league in South Africa for professional clubs’ U23 teams and reserve sides. This features Tylon Smith of Stellenbosch, who won the U20 AFCON’s Best Player award.

According to Mdaka, Amajita’s victory in the COSAFA U20 Challenge Cup in October 2024 led to the promotion of numerous players to their clubs’ top teams.

Given that it is the cornerstone of the senior national team and that our U17 team has qualified [for the FIFA U17 World Cup], Mdaka stated, “That speaks volumes about the youth and that we seem to be getting there.”

Mdaka emphasized the necessity for youth football in South Africa to continue to grow while praising the DDC.

It implies we need to turn our attention back to development since that’s what can help us in football. I want to thank the DDC once more for making it simple for us to watch and follow players every week.

“We wouldn’t be able to see them if it weren’t for the DDC because the country is so large. You might not be able to drive and follow up with players, but the DDC allows us to do that, and they’ve done a good job for the country as much as we won it.”

Amajita defeated Morocco 1-0 in the final in Cairo on Sunday to win the U20 AFCON championship for the first time.