Amajimbos on the cusp of history after holding hosts Qatar to a draw

Amajimbos have all but qualified for the second round of the Fifa Under-17 World Cup in Qatar after their 1-1 draw against the hosts Qatar at the Aspire Zone Complex in Doha on Thursday. After starting with a 3-1 win against Bolivia, South Africa are in second place on four points in Group A to Italy (six points). Qatar have a point and a -1 goal difference going into the final round of matches where they need a big win against Bolivia (zero points after losing 4-0 against Italy on Thursday) on Sunday to stand a chance of reeling the South Africans in. A win or draw for Amajita against Italy on Sunday will guarantee them a place in last 32 for the first time ever in this tournament. If South Africa lose, they will hope to do so by a narrow margin and for Qatar to win low or drop points against Bolivia. Amajimbos started slowly and had to fight back from from a goal down after allowing Qatari striker Mohamed Yazan to dazzle their backline before unleashing a screamer that went beyond the reach of the diving goalkeeper Lwandiso Radebe in just the third minute. Coach Vela Khumalo's side did well to bounce back with another well-worked goal - like their three in South Africa's opening 3-1 win against Bolivia - that involved the industrious Mamelodi Sundowns midfielder and captain Kamohelo Mareletse, who found Emile Witbooi for the headed finish with a delightful cross in the 16 minute. It was Witbooi's second goal in the tournament after he also opened the scoring against Bolivia. After both teams scored the match never really lived up to expectations as both sides made elementary mistakes that did not help them in creating clear-cut chances. SA did have two penalty appeals in the second half but they were both turned down by the match officials after VAR reviews. While Khumalo's team was clinical with its passing against Bolivia they found the going tough against the hosts, who offer little space. But players like Witbooi and Mareletse did well in showing resilience throughout the 90 minutes.