That's exactly what we did

When Amajimbos clinched this year's CAF U17 Africa Cup of Nations-COSAFA Qualifiers title after beating Angola 2-1 in the final in Zimbabwe two weeks ago, Zazi Qotoyi, a Grade 11 pupil at Isilimela Comprehensive High School in Langa, was one of the stars of the tournament. He capped that excellent performance with a Man of the Match Award in the final. Back at school following that successful trip, the Cape Town City juniors' central defender sat down with Soccer Laduma's Mzoxolo Budaza to share his thoughts on winning the tournament, qualifying for the AFCON as well as his chances of making the final squad for the upcoming FIFA U17 World Cup in Qatar.

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son was that we should never take an opponent for granted. It is also important to practise good sportsmanship and to be disciplined on the field. As a player, you need to be able to adapt to the coach's different approaches as well as the different conditions you find yourself in. It was too hot in Zimbabwe, but we managed to go there, work hard and come back with the gold medal. That may seem insignificant, but the ability to adapt to different weather conditions is very important because football can put you in conditions you don't know, like Russia for instance, where it is really cold, or Ghana and Zimbabwe where it's really hot.

MB: The victory in the COSAFA tournament also secured qualification for next year's CAF U17 AFCON. What does that mean to you?

ZQ: It means a lot because wearing a jersey with your surname on the back is a big thing. My family, friends and everyone in the community, especially here in Langa, would be proud of that achievement. I'm not only representing my family, but my hometown Langa and South Africa as a whole. Qualifying for next year's AFCON comes with a lot of responsibilities, which means we have to continue working together as a team, with our eyes firmly on the 2026 FIFA World Cup because anything is possible in football. And the good thing about this team is that we are one. You don't find a situation where one group pulls in one direction and the other to a different direction. That's one of the reasons we were able to win this COSAFA tournament - we were family.

MB: Before the 2026 AFCON there's the big one, the U17 World Cup coming up in two months' time. How would you rate your chances of making the final squad?