* Capped off a historic tournament by sweeping key individual awards Player of the Tournament, Best Goalkeeper and Best Coach
* Four were named in Best XI of the Tournament — Best Goalkeeper, Fletcher Lowe; Neo Rapoo; Lazola Maku and player of Tournament, Tylon Smith
Maravi Express
South Africa won their maiden CAF U-20 Africa Cup of Nations (AfCON) title with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Morocco in Sunday night’s final at the June 30 Stadium in Cairo, Egypt.
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Gomolemo Kekana’s stunning second-half strike proved decisive, as the Council for Southern Africa Football Associations (COSAFA) side claimed the trophy and rewrote history by overcoming a North African opponent in the tournament for the first time.
And that is not all — they swept key individual awards as Player of the Tournament went to Tylon Smith, Best Goalkeeper to Fletcher Lowe while Raymond Mdaka was named Best Coach.
Tylon Smith and Fletcher Lowe were also named in Best XI of the Tournament alongside teammates, Neo Rapoo and Lazola Maku.
Tylon Smith was named Best Player following his pivotal role in guiding the Amajita to their first-ever continental title as the 19-year-old defender delivered consistently influential performances throughout the tournament and was instrumental in the 1-0 victory over Morocco.
Smith, known for his composure, creativity, and ability to dictate the tempo from defence, scored the crucial semi-final winner against Nigeria and proved vital in linking midfield and attack across the campaign.
The only goal of the final came in the 70th minute when Kekana unleashed a powerful right-footed effort from outside the box, bending the ball into the top corner. The goal, awarded after a VAR review, broke the deadlock in a tense contest dominated by tactical discipline and defensive organisation.
Goalkeeper Fletcher Lowe was named Best Goalkeeper after keeping four clean sheets and recording the highest number of saves (24). His composure and reflexes were on full display in the final, where he denied Morocco on several occasions to preserve South Africa’s slim lead.
While South Africa lifted the trophy and the top two individual honours, Sierra Leone’s Momoh Kamara was named the tournament’s Top Scorer as the 20-year-old attacking midfielder found the net four times — including a stunning hat-trick against hosts Egypt — and was one of the breakout stars of the competition.
Morocco, despite finishing runners-up, were honoured with the Fair Play Award for their discipline and sportsmanship throughout the tournament and contributed four players included in the Best XI – Othmane Maamma, Hossam Essadak, Hamza Koutoune and Faycal Zahouani – a reflection of their strong, possession-based approach throughout the competition.
The top scorer, Sierra Leone’s Momoh Kamara, was also included, while Egypt’s Mohamed Goweily, Nigeria’s Daniel Bameyi, and South Africa’s Neo Rapoo and Lazola Maku completed the elite lineup.
South Africa’s coach Raymond Mdaka, was recognised for his tactical discipline and faith in youth to deliverer a maiden continental crown for the Amajita.
The participating teams at the tournament were Egypt (hosts), Senegal (defending champions), Zambia, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Tanzania, Nigeria, Tunisia, Kenya, Morocco, Ghana, DR Congo and Central African Republic.
Nigeria are record seven-time winners at this level while Ghana have four title, Egypt three times Morocco 1997 champions, while Sierra Leone and Kenya were making historic first appearances.
Meanwhile, the four teams that reached the semifinals — Egypt, Nigeria, Morocco, and South Africa — have booked their tickets for the FIFA U-20 World Cup 2025 in Chile from September 27 to October 19.
Their progression ensures that Africa will be strongly represented in Chile with a blend of traditional powerhouses and resurging contenders for the tournament that will feature six groups of four teams.
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The top two from each group, plus the four best third-placed teams, will move on to the Round of 16. From there, it’s a straight knockout path to the final.
This year marks the 24th edition of the FIFA U-20 World Cup — a tournament that has launched the careers of global superstars and the inclusion of these four African sides, each with their own ambitions and unique styles, adds flavour to what promises to be an unforgettable tournament in Chile.
The full list of teams qualified for the FIFA U-20 World Cup 2025 is Egypt, Nigeria, Morocco, South Africa (Africa-CAF); Italy, France, Ukraine, Spain, Norway (Europe-UEFA); Saudi Arabia, Japan, South Korea, Australia (Asia-AFC); USA, Mexico, Cuba, Panama (North America-CONCACAF); Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Paraguay, Chile (South America-CONMEBOL); and New Zealand, New Caledonia (Oceania-OFC).—Content by CAFonline; edited by Duncan Mlanjira, Maravi Express
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