South Africa A coach Mzwandile Stick believes teenage playmaker Yaqeen Ahmed will emerge stronger after a red card interrupted an eye-catching display in Saturday’s 40-0 victory over Zimbabwe in Gqeberha.
Ahmed’s afternoon had sparkled like a freshly polished trophy. The 19-year-old Junior Bok flyhalf crossed for the opening try and added three conversions as SA A built a commanding 21-0 lead. Then came the moment that turned sunshine into shadow.
He was unlucky to get a yellow card for colliding with Zimbabwe fullback Tapiwa Mafura Following a bunker review the yellow was harshly upgraded to a red card , ending his involvement after 52 minutes.
“With the red card, listen, we respect the match officials’ calls,” said Stick.
“The young kid got it wrong. We’re trying to keep the game clean and taking a player out in the air is one of the things we don’t want in our systems.
“He was just unfortunate in that situation. But he’s OK as well and, in the time he was on the field, you could see the brilliant touches he had as a youngster.
“Yes, it was disappointing for us to have those cards, but they’re still young and they’re going to learn. That’s what life is all about. As long as we keep learning from our mistakes and keep getting better.
“Yaqeen is only 19 and was at school last year. He is going to the Junior World Championship, so I wish him all the best.”
If Ahmed’s dismissal provided a lesson in discipline, winger Zekhethelo Siyaya endured a far more painful afternoon. The 18-year-old left the field late in the first half after accidentally receiving a boot to the face from a teammate.
Zekhethelo Siyaya goes over twice in the opening minutes, but denied by TMO calls on both occasions. No score after 10 minutes 💥
Follow the action in our match centre: https://t.co/5rO9ptbvnk 🏉#ForeverGreenForeverGold pic.twitter.com/m9pVWkGCho
— Springboks (@Springboks) June 20, 2026
“It was actually with his own teammate and he lost some memory there,” said Stick.
“Even after the game he still wasn’t sure where he was, but he’s alive, he’s moving and he’s in the changing room. He’s just still in Disneyland.
“Hopefully Siyaya can recover quickly and go represent our country as well.”
Despite playing with 14 men, SA A kept Zimbabwe scoreless and added three second-half tries. The scoreboard eventually reflected the dominance that had threatened to burst through much earlier.
“We knew it was going to be a big challenge because the majority of our players had never played together,” said Stick. “It was a new team.
“One thing I enjoyed about Zimbabwe was the way they tried to keep the ball in hand and challenge us.”
SA A had two early tries ruled out and squandered further opportunities.
“I know it can be frustrating when you’re not getting the points,” Stick said.
“There were times in the first half where we were just unlucky.
“We had two tries disallowed. One was a foot in touch and the other was a player being slightly in front of the kick. That didn’t show on the scoreboard.
“But from my side, I was pleased with the way the guys stayed in the fight. Even when Zimbabwe got into our 22 and applied pressure, we managed to keep a clean sheet.
“Three tries in the first half, three in the second half, and a clean sheet – I think they can be proud of that.”
Stick reserved special praise for Luan Giliomee and Eastern Cape winger Jaco Williams.
“There were a couple of youngsters who took their opportunity,” he said.
“If I look at the youngster who played at the back and then moved to flyhalf, Luan, with his sevens background, you can see the confidence he has in what he does. He did very well.
“And then there’s one of the local Eastern Cape boys, Jaco Williams on the wing.
“I felt those youngsters really did very well.”
For Ahmed, the afternoon became a rugby parable. One moment he was conducting SA A’s attack like a maestro with a magic baton, the next he was watching from the sidelines. The scoreline sang of success, while the red card whispered a valuable lesson that may prove even more important in the seasons ahead.
