The South Africa national under-20 football team (Amajita), is a youth football (soccer) team, which represents South Africa 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-20 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) and FIFA U-20 World Cup. The team has played at nine U-20 Africa Cup of Nations tournaments and five FIFA U-20 World Cups.
They are the current U-20 Africa Cup of Nations champions after defeating Morocco in the final held in Cairo on 18 May 2025.
Contents
History
The team was founded in 1993 and played their first match against Swaziland winning 2–0.
FIFA U-20 World Cup
They have qualified for the 1997, 2009, 2017, 2019, and 2025 FIFA U-20 World Cup.
Afcon U-20
Amajita were runners-up on debut in 1997 losing 1–0 to hosts Morocco in the final and securing qualification to the 1997 FIFA World Youth Championship. They won their maiden U-20 African Cup of Nations title after beating Morocco 1–0 in the final held in Cairo on 18 May 2025.
COSAFA U-20 Cup
South Africa have enjoyed sustained success in the COSAFA U‑20 Cup. In 2013, they claimed the title with a 2–0 victory over Kenya in the final held in Lesotho. They secured another championship in 2017, defeating hosts Lesotho 2–1 in the final in Zambia. The team retained the trophy in 2018, overcoming Zimbabwe 4–3 on penalties after a 1–1 draw, again in Zambia.
In 2024, South Africa won their ninth COSAFA U‑20 Cup, beating Zambia 2–0 in the final. They completed the tournament without conceding a goal and qualified for the 2025 U‑20 Africa Cup of Nations. Their tenth title followed in 2025, with a 3–0 win over Malawi in the final in Namibia. In 2026, they captured their eleventh championship by defeating hosts Mozambique 2–1 in the final and after securing qualification for the 2027 U-20 Africa Cup of Nations.
Player eligibility
Players who are selected, will be 20 or younger in the following World Cup year. With the next FIFA U-20 World Cup being held in Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan in 2027, players need to have been born on or after 1 January 2007.
Results and fixtures
The following is a list of match results in the last twelve months, as well as any future matches that have been scheduled.
Legend
Win
Draw
Loss
Fixture
Current squad
The following players were called up for the 2026 COSAFA U-20 Youth Championship between 18 – 27 September 2026.
Notable former players
Players who have previously played for the under-20 team, and have since gone on to play for the senior team:
Benni McCarthy
Matthew Booth
Thulani Serero
Stanton Fredericks
Thulani Hlatshwayo
Darren Keet
Andile Jali
Junaid Hartley
Siyabonga Nomvethe