Kaizer Chiefs reserve team player, Sifiso Timba was part of a quartet of the Club’s academy players, along with Mfundo Vilakazi, Gopolang Taunyana and Takalani Mazhamba, that won the 2025 TotalEnergies CAF U20 Africa Cup of Nations by defeating Morocco, 1-0, in the final on Sunday evening in Cairo, Egypt.

The 19-year-old-defender joyfully reflected on becoming an African champion, saying, “We are very happy to have made history for our country.”

Timba, who played in all seven of Amajita’s games at the finals, spoke of the challenges they faced and the fact that they played a game more than the Moroccans, revealing, “It was very tough, although playing an extra game was very good for exposure.”

According to Timba, it took a lot of perseverance on his part to come through as a winner.
“I faced many challenges and sometimes I felt like giving up,” he admits, “But by the grace of God, and my grandmother, I kept at it and now I am an African champion. The first person I called after the game was my grandmother because I wanted to tell her the good news.”

He was further pleased to have had three other Chiefs players with him in the squad. “It was fantastic to have my club teammates with me. They gave me support and kept on motivating me,” he says.

Timba put on an accomplished display against a resolute Moroccan team in the final and now looks forward to the 2025 FIFA U20 World Cup, which will be held in Chile from 27 September to 19 October. He has one objective heading to South America. “My hope for the World Cup is to win it and make more history,” he declares.

While the South Africa U20s had four Chiefs players in their squad, the South Africa U17s, who participated in the U17 AFCON in March and April, were represented by five Amakhosi players, plus the Club’s DDC coach, Vela Khumalo, at the helm. They too have qualified for this year’s U17 FIFA World Cup, to be staged in Qatar.

Timba believes that potentially having nine Kaizer Chiefs academy players featuring across the two tournaments bodes well for the future of the Club. “Having all these players going to the World Cup shows that the future is really bright,” he says, adding, “The fans and the team has a lot to look forward to.”

The quartet joins Neil Tovey and Doctor Khumalo who won the 1996 AFCON with Bafana Bafana as Chiefs players who have won a continental title with South Africa at senior or junior international level.

The SA U20 team arrived back from Cairo on Tuesday morning.