The South Americans got off to a flying start, capitalising on a defensive lapse as Joel Canchimbo put Colombia ahead in the 7th minute. Despite their best efforts, Amajita struggled to convert chances in the first half and went into the break trailing 1-0.

Just two minutes after the restart, livewire Siviwe Magidigidi was brought down in the box, earning South Africa a penalty. Mfundo Vilakazi’s first effort was saved, but a retake was awarded, and he calmly made no mistake to level the scores.

The game remained tense, with both sides probing for the lead. However, Colombia struck again through Néiser Villareal, who later completed his brace in stoppage time to seal the victory and end South Africa’s World Cup journey.

Coach Raymond Mdaka reflected on the defeat, calling it a tough pill to swallow but emphasising the value of the experience for his young squad.

“It’s hard to take, especially with a team you believe can get results,” said Mdaka.

“We get so used to winning, and when you lose, it hits deep. But that’s the nature of football - you play, you don’t win, and you’re out. This has been a great experience for the boys and the technical team.

“We were caught out in the opening minutes, which led to the first goal. After that, we settled and created chances. We scored from the penalty, but then conceded the second and third goals. We told the boys to keep their heads up and focus on what comes next.”

Despite the loss, Amajita can be proud of their tournament showing. They finished with two wins and two defeats, opening with a 2-1 loss to France, then bouncing back with victories over New Caledonia (5-0) and the USA (2-1) before falling to Colombia.

Their journey began in 2024 with the COSAFA U20 Cup triumph and continued with lifting the CAF U20 Africa Cup of Nations trophy in Egypt earlier this year, which secured their World Cup berth.

The class of 2025 advanced further than any of their predecessors at a FIFA U20 World Cup - SAFA

Mdaka praised his players and supporters, noting the importance of the support they received.

“We really appreciate the support. We always received messages showing the country was behind us. We wanted to reach the quarterfinals, but football is football. With continued hard work and support, we will represent South Africa well in the future.”

South Africa is now the third African nation to exit the tournament, following Nigeria’s 4-0 loss to Argentina and Egypt failing to advance from the group stage. Morocco remains the continent’s last hope, facing Korea Republic on Friday.

Amajita are expected to return to South Africa on Friday afternoon.

Morgan Piek OFM Sport