Malebogo Modise, captain of the Amajita national U20 football team, says Monday’s Tri-nations match against England will be a lot tougher than when they faced Brazil.
The Burger King-sponsored Amajita are in England to play two matches – they’ve already lost 4-0 to the South Americans last week, and will now face the host nation in their final match in the city of Leek. Kick-off is at 20:00pm South African time.
‘Things are going well, we lost to Brazil on Wednesday and the coaches have told us not to drop our heads, but work harder on rectifying the mistakes we made in the first match and be ready for the game against England,’ said the Amajita captain. ‘We are really motivated to play them, and the boys are looking sharp and waiting in anticipation for the game.’
‘But we are also aware that it is going to be tougher than the Brazil match, because this is the host nation we are playing and they will have all the support they need.
‘We have been discussing with the other players that we have to be switched on from the first minute – the England team will come at us, motivated by the home support and also because they drew against Brazil, so they will want to register a win. We have been working on the mistakes we committed against Brazil and so I think we are ready for England.’
Modise played at the Fifa U20 World Cup in Korea earlier this year, and was also called up to the Bafana Bafana squad recently for the Cosafa Cup tournament and 2018 Chan qualifiers. He played one match where he got injured.
He also featured in the U17 Afcon tournament.
With his experience, he says it is vital that junior national teams be involved in the kind of matches they are playing against England and Brazil. ‘The games are very important because most of the boys are new to the international scene, so they are still learning about the difference between club football and the international level. At this level it is very demanding, so the boys are adapting well and they are learning everyday how hard it is to play for the national team, so this is a very important exercise,’ added Modise.
‘It’s very tough at this level, but as a player you should listen to the instructions of the coach because international football is very demanding. There is time for basics, but emphasis is put on tactics, and things are done at a very fast pace and you have to be on top of the game from the word go. International football is all about results, so as a player you have to adapt quickly and be strong mentally.’
It’s not surprising then, that he has been selected caption of the squad in England, something he cherishes.
‘It’s an honour to lead the team, maybe to bring some experience, because I have been here with the U20 squad for a while now, and most of the players are new in the squad, so my role is to lead them and show them how to do things and what not to do.
‘I would like to thank the technical team for this opportunity to play such a meaningful role in the national team, but at the same time I’m well aware that I’m not the only leader, we have other players who can take up this role, so I don’t take it for granted. I am really honoured,’ concluded the Mamelodi Sundowns player.