The TotalEnergies CAF Under-17 Africa Cup of Nations | COSAFA Qualifier will be staged in Johannesburg from December 4-13 with 12 teams hoping to reach the continental finals that are to be held next year.
To do that they much seal a place in the final and it will be fascinating to see which sides emerge in the coming weeks to not only take the crown, but also advance with the chance of becoming African champions.
The first part of our team profiles looks at Angola, Botswana, Comoros and Eswatini, and their recent history in the competition.
ANGOLA
Last five tournament finishes:
2018 – Winners
2019 – Third
2020 – Third
2021 – Winner
2022 – Did not enter
Angola have flexed their muscles in this age group level of late and have two wins to show for their efforts in 2018 and 2021. They did not appear two years ago, so make their return to the competition in Johannesburg looking to regain their title.
The team made their regional debut in the 2001 COSAFA Men’s Under-17 Championships but did not make it past the group stages, while it was the same story in 2007 when they finished third in a four-team pool.
They claimed their maiden title four years ago when they beat South Africa 1-0 in the final in Mauritius, and followed that up with back-to-back bronze medal wins in 2019 and 2020.
They were back on the top of the podium in 2021 when they edged Zambia 2-1 in the tournament that was staged in Lesotho.
Angola have competed at the African Under-17 Championship on four occasions, with their bronze medal in 2019 their best performance. They also exited in the group stages in 1997, 1999 and 2017.
BOTSWANA
Last five tournament finishes:
2018 – Group Stages
2019 – Did not enter
2020 – Disqualified
2021 – Group Stages
2022 – Fourth
Botswana will hope to build on their fourth-place finish in 2022 that was the best ever for the side in this competition, making it out of the pool stages for the first time in their history.
They had a poor record at the COSAFA Under-17 competition before that and, in the case of 2020, facing disqualification for selecting players who did not meet eligibility criteria.
But having exited their pool two years ago following a 2-2 draw with Malawi and a 1-0 win over Namibia, they lost 4-2 to Zambia in the semifinals and then 5-2 to Malawi in the battle for bronze.
Still it is something to build on, even if they will field a different squad this year.
COMOROS
Last five tournament finishes:
2018 – Did not enter
2019 – Group Stages
2020 – Disqualified
2021 – Did not enter
2022 – Did not enter
Comoros are back in the field for their second tile at the regional Under-17 crown after a difficult few years.
They debuted in 2019 but failed to make it out of the pool stages despite a decent return of four points following victory over Lesotho (1-0), a draw with Mozambique (0-0) and a loss to Angola (3-0).
They returned in 2020 but were one of four sides who were disqualified after they failed to meet eligibility requirements and have not been back since.
They will be eager to show their potential at this level with the senior national team having grown in leaps and bounds in recent years.
ESWATINI
Last five tournament finishes:
2018 – Group Stages
2019 – Fourth
2020 – Disqualified
2021 – Fourth
2022 – Did not enter
Eswatini have showed plenty of potential at this level in the recent past, but also faced some bitter disappointment.
They have managed to reach the semifinals and finish fourth twice in the last four competitions played, which is a very good return.
But mixed in there is a disqualification for not meeting eligibility requirements in 2020 and the fact they did not enter at all in 2022.
They got to the semis in 2019 as they came through a tough pool that also invoiced Zambia, Malawi and South Africa, an excellent achievement. They were edged 1-0 by Mozambique in the semifinals and lost to Angola in the bronze medal game.
They were back in the semifinals in 2021 but again lost to Angola, and then to Malawi in the battle for bronze.
