“Bullet” a key player for Amajita had to be substituted before the end of the game after suffering a back injury.

“It does feel like a serious injury and it was disappointing to be substituted again after coming on early in the second half,” he told kaizerchiefs.com over the phone.

“We know that we did well as the team and it was unfortunate that we did not go through. We have learnt a lot out of this tournament and there is no doubt that it is going to help shape our careers going forward.”

Masango said as the team they learnt a lot about taking their chances in international football, “We created lot of chances that we did not finish. We also need to improve at the back and also generally on how we defend free kicks,” he said.

“The moral is still high here despite knowing that we going back home. We are confident that there are great things to come from us as a group. It is important now to go back to our clubs and plough back what we learnt during this tournament. We have to stay positive.”

Mandla said he was looking forward to meet his teammates at Naturena, “I am happy that the team is now winning games. This augurs well with our ambitions this season. I am hoping to meet the guys soon and knuckle down. Hopefully the injury will not sideline me for a long time,” he concluded.

Amajita are expected to receive a ‘grand welcoming’ from football fanatics when they touch down at O.R. Tambo International on Thursday.