Raymond Mdaka made history last weekend when he guided Amajita to their maiden U-20 Africa Cup of Nations title in Egypt after beating Morocco 1-0 in the final.

The 55-year-old inflicted a first defeat of the tournament on the Atlas Lions, having also masterminded victories over DR Congo and seven-time AFCON champions Nigeria in the knockout stages to book South Africa’s ticket to the 2025 World Cup in Chile.

Mdaka had only been appointed coach of the Under-20 national team in March 2024 after cutting his teeth with Xihoko Mountains, City Pillars, Young Stars and Dynamos before going on to take charge of Betway Premiership side Marumo Gallants in 2021.

However, the Limpopo native actually studied to become a teacher and attended Giyani College of Education after matriculating at Gwambeni High School in Xihoko. But he always had a passion for football and became involved in development programmes on the side.

Mdaka eventually quit teaching to focus on the beautiful game and he went on to work as a SAFA instructor following his stint with Dynamos, ultimately landing a major role with Amajita last year.