COSAFA teams at the FIFA Under-20 World Cup
This year’s Region 5 Games in Windhoek, Namibia from July 4-13 do not serve as a continental qualifier with the finals held only every two years, but coaches will be surely looking forward to building for the next campaign.
Three sides from the COSAFA region have gone through the TotalEnergies CAF Under-20 Africa Cup of Nations to reach the FIFA Under-20 World Cup, with continental champions South Africa to be the latest when they appear in Chile later this year.
Here is a recap of how COSAFA sides have fared on the Under-20 global stage.
ANGOLA
Appearances: 2001
Best finish: Round of 16 (2001)
Angola’s only appearance at the Uncer-20 World Cup came back in 2001, when they would reach the Round of 16, but lost 2-0 to the Netherlands.
They finished top of their pool in the tournament played in Argentina, following a goalless draw with Czech Republic, a 2-1 win over Japan and a 1-1 draw with Australia.
Several of this squad would go on to help the country qualify for the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany.
They came up against the Dutch in the knockout round, but it proved too much of a hurdle against a team that contained the likes of Rafael van der Vaart, Klaas-Jan Huntelaar and Arjen Robben.
SOUTH AFRICA
Appearances: 1997, 2009, 2017, 2019
Best finish: Round of 16 (2009)
South Africa debuted in 1997 in Malaysia, where they were grouped with France, Saudi Arabia and South Korea. Despite a spirited effort, Amajita failed to win a game, drawing with the Koreans and finishing bottom of their group.
It would take 12 years before their next appearance, at the 2009 edition in Egypt, where they achieved their best-ever finish.
South Africa finished third in their group behind the United Arab Emirates and Hungary but qualified for the Round of 16 as one of the best third-placed teams.
They were eliminated after a hard-fought 2–1 extra-time loss to Ghana, who went on to win the tournament.
In 2017, South Africa returned to the tournament in South Korea but exited at the group stage after suffering defeats to Japan and Italy and earning a solitary point against Uruguay in a 0-0 draw.
Their most recent appearance came in 2019 in Poland, where they were again eliminated in the group stage following losses to Argentina and South Korea and a draw against Portugal.
South Africa will head to the 2025 Under-20 World Cup having been crowned champions of Africa in Egypt in May.
ZAMBIA
Appearances: 1999, 2007, 2017, 2023
Best finish: Quarterfinals (2017)
Zambia have made four appearances at the Under-20 World Cup, with their debut coming in 1999.
In that tournament, held in Nigeria, they were placed in a tough group alongside Spain, Brazil, and Honduras. Zambia managed a 4-3 victory over Honduras but lost their other two matches and exited at the group stage.
They returned in 2007 in Canada and again in 2017 in South Korea, with the latter proving their most successful campaign.
In 2007, they secured a group-stage win against Jordan but did not advance further. Their breakthrough came a decade later in 2017, when a talented generation led by players like Patson Daka and Fashion Sakala topped their group, which included Portugal, Iran, and Costa Rica.
They defeated Germany 4-3 in a dramatic Round of 16 encounter before falling 3-2 to Italy in extra time in the quarterfinals, marking their best-ever finish at the tournament.
Zambia’s most recent appearance was in 2023 in Argentina, but they failed to progress beyond the group stage after managing just one win.
