South Africa's U20 national team etched their name into African football folklore with a nerve-wracking 1-0 victory over Morocco in Sunday night's CAF U20 Africa Cup of Nations final - delivering the country its first-ever continental crown at this level, Cape town Etc reports.
The Cairo International Stadium bore witness to an unforgettable night as Raymond Mdaka's Amajita overcame the odds to lift the trophy - a feat that had eluded South Africa for decades. This landmark triumph came 28 years after the nation's last appearance in the final, where they were narrowly defeated by Morocco in 1997.
This time, however, the story ended differently.
Both sides entered the clash unbeaten in the knockouts, having shown steel and resilience throughout the tournament. South Africa shook off an opening loss to hosts Egypt to register key victories over Tanzania and Sierra Leone, and their group-topping campaign was followed by knockout wins against DR Congo and Nigeria.
Morocco's journey to the final was equally impressive, with the North Africans brushing aside Kenya and Tunisia before navigating a tough draw with Nigeria. Their resolve showed in narrow knockout wins against Sierra Leone and an extra-time thriller with Egypt.