Amajita's journey: What happened to South Africa's Under-20 class of 1997?

IOL News

20-05-2025

Benni has had a good career Benni McCarthy, the head coach of the Kenya national team, was a member of the South African Under-20 side that reached the final of the Under-20 Africa Cup of Nations in 1997. Photo: Mohamed Aly/BackpagePix
Image: Mohamed Aly/BackpagePix
History was made on Sunday when Amajita beat Morocco 1-0 in Cairo to claim their first ever CAF Under-20 Africa Cup of Nations title.
After a slow start to the tournament where they went down to the hosts in their opener, South Africa responded well to win the group. They would go on to win famously lift the title after beating Morocco in the final.
The victory came 28 years after South Africa made it all the way to the final back in 1997. The team, captained by Matthew Booth, were beaten 1-0, coincidentally, by Morocco.
IOL Sport takes a look back to see how the careers of the class of 1997 turned out.
Get your news on the go, click
here to join the IOL News WhatsApp channel.
Video Player is loading.
Play Video
Play
Unmute
Current Time
0:00
/
Duration
-:-
Loaded :
0%
Stream Type LIVE
Seek to live, currently behind live
LIVE
Remaining Time
-
0:00
This is a modal window.
Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window.
Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan
Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan
Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan
Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque
Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps
Reset
restore all settings to the default values Done
Close Modal Dialog
End of dialog window.
Advertisement
Next
Stay
Close ✕
Goalkeepers
Wayne Robers (Cape Town Spurs)
Had a good career where he went on to represent Bafana Bafana on the international stage. However, despite bucket-loads of potential, he never reached the top.
Martin van der Westhuizen (Mamelodi Sundowns)
Things didn't work out well for Van der Westhuizen as his career as a professional was brief. He is currently a goalkeeper coach for KOP Legends, a club based in Pretoria.
Gerald Wagner (Rainbow Stars)
Eastern Cape local Wagner made a name for himself in the colours of Bush Bucks. After his brief career ended, Wagner went back to university to earn a degree in business management.
Defenders
Japie Motale (SuperSport United)
After failing to make the grade at Sundowns, Motale went on to have a very successful career in the colours of SuperSport United. He also played for the likes of Black Leopards, Maritzburg United, and Thanda Royal Zulu. He earned two international caps with Bafana Bafana
Vorgen Less (Hellenic)
Less played professionally for 16 years, turning out for the likes of Hellenic, Bidvest Wits and Ikapa Sporting. He finished his career playing in the United States.
Given Nyedimane (Southern OFS)
Not much is known about Nyedimane's career outside of the one season he spent with Bloemfontein Celtic.
Ashley Makhanya (Uniao Desportivo)
Now 47, Makhanya had a fruitful career as a professional, turning out for clubs such as Bidvest Wits and Santos before retiring in 2007.
Speaking earlier this week about the hostility they faced ahead of the 1997 final, Makhanya said: 'Everyone kept saying, 'You are going to lose'. The chef and drivers who were nice to us – everyone changed. We tried to walk out, and it was terrible. On the day of the final, it was even worse – from the hotel to the stadium, the country was red. People were shouting at us and beating our bus.'
Matthew Booth (Cape Town Spurs - captain)
Booth, the captain of the team, had a very good career. After starring for Cape Town Spurs and Mamelodi Sundowns, Booth went abroad to Russia, where he spent seven years playing for FC Rostov and Krylia Sovetov. He returned to South Africa in 2009, playing a central role for Sundowns and Ajax Cape Town before hanging up his boots in the colours of Bidvest Wits. He was a member of Bafana Bafana's squad at the 2010 World Cup in the country, but was an unused substitute in all three games. Since retiring, he has become one of South Africa's most respected television pundits.
Nkhiphitheni Matombo (Dynamos)
Matombo featured for Manning Rangers, and was a member of South Africa's squad at the 2000 Sydney Olympics.
Davi Kannemeyer (Cape Town Spurs)
Kannemeyer became a household name in South African football, and turned out for the likes of Kaizer Chiefs and Mamelodi Sundowns, where he won three league titles – one with Chiefs and two with Sundowns. On the international stage, he played 15 times for Bafana Bafana.
Midfielders
Lucky Maselesele (School of Excellence)
Maselesele spent a year in PSV's academy in the Netherlands, but returned to South Africa after struggling to settle in. After a number of years in the colours of Kaizer Chiefs, he bounced around various clubs, and saw his time with Maritzburg United after six months following a ban for failing a drugs test. He would eventually retire in 2011. After his football career ended, his life spiralled out of control, and he was beaten to death in 2021 in a mob justice incident.
Patrick Mbutho (Kaizer Chiefs)
Mbutho went on to represent South Africa's Under-23s at the 2000 Sydney Olympics, and was a key player for Chiefs in their golden years. After leaving the club in 2003 due to discipline issues, he briefly moved on to Manning Rangers, but retired soon after. After retiring, Mbutho started losing his eyesight. Last year, it was reported that former teammate Booth made a donation to contribute to his treatment.
Shane Morrison (Martzburg United)
Morrison, who had captained the Under-17 side, went on to represent South Africa at Under-20 and Under-23 level.
Abram Nteo (Northern Free State)
Like many players in the team, Nteo went on to play for South Africa's Under-23 at the Sydney Olympics. He spent the majority of his career at Bloemfontein Celtic, and retired in 2011. Most recently, Nteo was a member of the technical team at disaster club Royal AM.
Mzunani Mgwigwi (Buch Bucks)
Mgwigwi's career was most spent in the colours of Bush Bucks. He is now the club's head coach in the ABC Motsepe League, and has been working to improve his technical skills in order to lead the club's revival.
Moffat Mafoka (School of Excellence)
Mafoka played for Kaizer Chiefs, Tembisa Classic and Benoni Premier United, but unfortunately died in 2006. Tragically, his remains had to be exhumed 15 years later after his family discovered he had been buried in the wrong grave.
Manqoba Mkhize (Kaizer Chiefs)
After the competition, Mkhize went on to have a successful career, playing for the likes of Kaizer Chiefs, Golden Arrows, Silver Stars and AmaZulu. He was forced to retire at the age of 28 after a serious knee injury.
Forwards
Benni McCarthy (Seven Stars)
Anyone heard of this guy?
McCarthy had a phenomenal career. After playing the for Under-20s in 1997, he made his senior international debut the following year, and was one of Bafana Bafana's best players at the 1998 Africa Cup of Nations, where he famously scored four goals against Namibia at just 17 years old. Later that year, he scored South Africa's first ever World Cup goal when he put the ball between the great Peter Schmeichel's legs in a game against Denmark that ended 2-2. On the international stage, he retired as Bafana Bafana's record goalscorer.
His club career was also pretty impressive. After playing for Ajax Amsterdam and Celta Vigo, he transferred to FC Porto in Portugal in 2003, and played a key role as the Jose Mourinho-coached club won the UEFA Champions League in 2004. In his first season playing in England's Premier League, he finished second on the goalscoring chart, two goals behind Didier Drogba and one more than Cristiano Ronaldo.
He eventually retired in 2013 after two years at Orlando Pirates. His coaching career has also been good. He guided Cape Town City to the MTN8 title in his first year as a coach, and led AmaZulu to their highest ever league finish in the PSL era. And after two years as a member of Erik ten Hag's backroom staff at Manchster United, McCarthy is currently the head coach of the Kenya national team.
Stanton Fredericks (Wits)
Stiga was entertaining to watch with the ball at his feet, and it's a pity he only played 14 times for Bafana Bafana. His career took him to countries like Switzerland, Russia and Greece, but it's in the black and gold of Amakhosi that he played his best football.
Currently, he's one of South Africa's most respected football pundits.
Daniel Matsau (Lorraine Lion)
Another supremely talented forward who went on to play at the Sydney games. He's best remembered for his time at Kaizer Chiefs. After leaving Amakhosi in 2003, he moved on to SuperSport United, and then to Mpumalanga Black Aces, where he retired in 2009. In 2020, it was reported that the diminutive Matsau was coaching his local team in the SAB League, and was unemployed.
Mohammed Bhamjee (Moroka Swallows)
Bhamjee, son of legendary football administrator Abdul Bhamjee, didn't have a successful playing career. He's now one of the most accomplished youth team coach in South African football, and football coach, and currently works for Soweto giants Kaizer Chiefs.
Meshack Phashe (Vaal Reefs)
Not much is known about Phashe's career after 1997.
IOL Sport
Get your news on the go, click
here to join the IOL News WhatsApp channel.