Angola look to go one better in Harare
The TotalEnergies CAF Under-17 Africa Cup of Nations 2026 | COSAFA Qualifiers will be staged in Harare, Zimbabwe from September 10-21 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, who came oh so close to the gold medal last year.
ANGOLA
Last five tournament finishes:
2019 – Third
2020 – Third
2021 – Winners
2022 – Did not enter
2024 – Runners-Up
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 came close to making it three in the last six tournaments when they reached the final last year, only to lose 2-1 to Zambia in the decider.
It still earned them a ticket to the continental finals in Morocco, where they exited in the group stages.
They managed to make the play-offs for the 2025 FIFA Under-17 World Cup in Qatar, but lost 2-1 to Egypt and could not book their place at the global showpiece.
Angola did not appear in the COSAFA Under-17 Championship in 2022, so made their return to the competition in Johannesburg late last year.
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 in 2018 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 five occasions, with their bronze medal in 2019 their best performance. They also exited in the group stages in 1997, 1999, 2017 and 2025.
