From Ga-Mokgwathi to African champion — Coach Raymond Mdaka continues to make South Africa and Limpopo proud.
By: Refilwe Sebola
Raymond Mdaka has once again given Limpopo football something to celebrate.
The South African U20 national team coach, who hails from Ga-Mokgwathi village in Bolobedu, has guided Amajita to another COSAFA U20 championship after defeating hosts Mozambique 2-1 in the final in Matola on Sunday.
But this was not just another trophy.
It was the third consecutive regional U20 title won by South Africa under Mdaka’s tenure, following their triumphs in 2024 and 2025.
Mdaka took charge of Amajita in 2024 and immediately delivered, guiding the team to the COSAFA title in Mozambique with a 2-0 victory over Zambia.
A year later, South Africa retained the regional crown in Namibia, defeating Malawi 3-0 in the final of the Region 5 Games, which formed part of COSAFA’s U20 regional championship programme.
Now they have done it again.
This time, the final was played on the opponents’ home soil, but Amajita showed the character required to overcome the hosts.
Oarabile Booysen gave South Africa the lead before Mozambique quickly responded. Steven Mendes’ second-half penalty restored the advantage and Mdaka’s charges held on to lift the trophy.
It completed a perfect tournament for Amajita, who won all five of their matches in Mozambique.
More importantly, the COSAFA success also secured South Africa’s place at next year’s CAF U20 Africa Cup of Nations in Ghana.
For Mdaka, the latest triumph is part of a remarkable two-year rise.
In 2025, he led Amajita to their first-ever U20 AFCON title, beating Morocco 1-0 in the final in Egypt. That historic achievement was followed by South Africa’s appearance at the FIFA U20 World Cup in Chile.
Now the challenge has become even bigger.
Amajita will go to Ghana as defending African champions.
Mdaka himself understands the significance of what lies ahead. After returning from Mozambique, he described the latest COSAFA triumph as an important foundation for the AFCON campaign and called for sufficient preparation time for what he described as a difficult continental tournament.
“It’s good for the country, good for the boys,” Mdaka said, while stressing that defending a trophy and simultaneously qualifying for the AFCON made the achievement particularly important.
For a coach whose football journey began in the rural village of Mokgwathi, the transformation has been extraordinary.
Mdaka started his coaching journey in his home village and later developed his qualifications through the Limpopo Academy of Sport. The academy has described him as an outstanding student from its early coaching programmes in the mid-2000s.
The teacher-turned-coach eventually moved into professional football, working with clubs including City Pillars and Dynamos, before his national-team opportunity arrived.
When SAFA appointed him as the U20 head coach in 2024, the mission was clear: develop a team capable of competing at the highest level and qualifying for major tournaments.
He has done considerably more than that.
*Three successive regional titles.
*An African championship.
*A FIFA U20 World Cup appearance.
And now another qualification for the continental showpiece.
For Limpopo, the success carries a particularly special meaning because the man at the centre of it comes from one of the province’s rural communities.
Ga-Mokgwathi in Bolobedu can now point to one of its own leading a South African national team to major international success.
Mdaka’s journey is therefore not simply a story about trophies.
It is a story about a coach from rural Limpopo who steadily climbed the football ladder and eventually became an African champion with his country.
And the next chapter could be even bigger.
Amajita head to Ghana carrying the African crown they won under Mdaka in Egypt. The trophy is no longer the target they are chasing. This time, they are going there to defend it.