South Africa’s under-15 national team has booked their place in the last 16 of the 2026 FIFA U15 World Cup and Festival in Baku, Azerbaijan. The Mzansi boys thumped Malaysia 6-2 on Wednesday to secure the win and move closer to the quarter-finals.

Camden Schaper was the star of the match. He scored four goals and showed why he is one of the brightest talents in the squad. Tshiamo Mashishi and Alex Van Der Werf each added one more goal to complete the 6-2 scoreline. The South African side controlled the game from the start and never looked in real danger after taking an early lead.

This result comes after a strong group-stage campaign. South Africa finished second in Group A. They beat Maldives 8-0, crushed Anguilla 13-1, and drew with Estonia. Their best result was a 3-2 win over France, which helped them climb the table and qualify for the next round. The team has shown good attacking play and solid teamwork throughout the tournament.

The FIFA U15 World Cup is a new competition. It is played in an 8-a-side format on smaller pitches so that young players get more time on the ball. The focus is on building technical skills and football intelligence rather than just results. Head coach Selekedi Mogale has used the matches to give the boys valuable experience against teams from different parts of the world.

South Africa will now wait to see who they face next. They will play the winner of the match between Jamaica and Portugal. A win in that game would take them into the quarter-finals and keep their dream of a deep run alive.

The players have already made the country proud. Big wins against strong sides like France and clinical finishing against Malaysia show that South African football has promising talent coming through. Fans back home will be watching the next match closely. For now, the U15 side can celebrate a well-earned place in the last 16.

Source: https://x.com/iDiskiTimes/status/2115379905063977331