South African U20s exit FIFA World Cup after 3-1 loss to Colombia

The South African U20 Men’s National Team suffered a disappointing exit from the 2025 FIFA Men’s World Cup after losing 3-1 to Colombia in the Round of 16. The match took place at Estadio Fiscal de Talca in Chile on Wednesday night.

Coach Raymond Mdaka expressed his disappointment, saying: “It’s a hard pill to swallow, especially when you have a team that you genuinely believe could achieve great results. We are accustomed to winning, so losing hits deep. However, we understand it is the nature of football, particularly in knockout stages - play and if you don’t win, you’re out. Before reflecting on the match, I believe this experience will benefit the boys, the technical team, and everyone involved with us at the World Cup.”

Colombia struck first, capitalising on a defensive misjudgment by the South Africans, with Joel Canchimbo scoring the opening goal. While South Africa fought valiantly and missed several scoring opportunities, they trailed at halftime.

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The second half brought hope when livewire Siviwe Magidigidi was fouled in the box, resulting in a penalty. Mfundo Vilakazi initially had his spot-kick saved by the Colombian goalkeeper, but a retake was granted, and he successfully scored to equalise.

Despite a tense back-and-forth, Colombia regained the lead with a strike from Neiser Villareal, who later sealed the match with a second goal during added time, extinguishing South Africa's hopes of a comeback.

Reflecting on the game, Mdaka said: “We were caught off guard in the early minutes and struggled to build our usual play. The first goal was unexpected, but we managed to compose ourselves and create opportunities. After the penalty goal, the second goal conceded was unfortunate, and not much more can be said. We reminded the boys to keep their heads up and look forward.”

He added, “We truly appreciate the support we received. Daily messages showed us the country was behind us, which meant a lot. We wished to advance to the quarterfinals, but football can be unpredictable. We want the nation to know that success will come, and with hard work and support, we will represent our country well. I believe we did that here.”

South Africa joins Nigeria, which was eliminated after a 4-0 defeat to Argentina, and Egypt, which did not advance from the group stage, in exiting the tournament. Morocco remains the only African representative, preparing to face Korea Republic on Friday.