South African Under-17 national team is facing a daunting task ahead of the Under-17 Africa Nations Cup finals.
Duncan Crowie’s team is in the same group with Morocco, Zambia and Nigeria. “We had our last training session on Friday night (28 April 2023) and the guys are mentally ready, we are prepared and know what to do on the field of play,” said Crowie.
“We also know that Morocco did well at the World Cup and this is a psychological boost for them, but we also have a psychological boost of our own because our ladies team (Banyana Banyana) are the reigning African champions after defeating Morocco in the final.”
“When we were traveling from Algiers to Constantine (where the team is currently based), we passed the inspirational Nelson Mandela Stadium and everyone was taking pictures because that’s where we want to see ourselves,” he said.
South African Under-17 captain Benjamin Wallis believes that the members of the South African technical team have done their part.
“We have worked on the plan from the technical team and we know what is expected of us, so right now it is up to us as players to execute the plan well. At the end of the day, it is 11 vs 11, the grass is green and the ball is round,” said Wallis.