Heavyweights collide in COSAFA U-20 Qualifier draw
Defending champions South Africa and Angola have been drawn together in Group B at the TotalEnergies CAF U-20 Africa Cup of Nations Qualifiers | COSAFA that will be staged in Mauritius from September 18-27.
It is a powerhouse pairing in a pool that also includes Lesotho and Eswatini, making for a tough group.
Hosts Mauritius are the seeded team in Group A and will take on Namibia, fellow islanders Seychelles and Mozambique.
Group C contains record 12-time winners Zambia, their old foes Malawi, Comoros and Botswana in what is sure to be another tightly contested pool.
The top team in each pool advances to the semi-finals, along with the best runner-up. The teams are playing for a place at the TotalEnergies CAF U-20 Africa Cup of Nations, which is set to be staged in Ghana next year, with the two finalists advancing to the continental competition.
All matches will be streamed live on FIFA+ and COSAFA’s YouTube Channel.
The COSAFA Under-20 competition has a rich history stretching back more than four decades and has provided a platform for many players who have gone on to become leading senior internationals.
Zambia were the inaugural champions in 1983 and remain the most successful nation in the history of the regional competition with 12 titles. The early years were dominated by Zambia and Zimbabwe, who shared the first nine championships between them, with Zambia taking six and Zimbabwe three.
South Africa eventually broke that stranglehold when they claimed their maiden crown in 2000 and have since become Zambia’s closest challengers on the all-time list.
Amajita won their ninth title when they defeated Zambia 2-0 in the 2024 final in Mozambique and retained the regional crown at the Region 5 Games in Namibia in 2025, beating Malawi 3-0 in the decider. That took South Africa to 10 regional Under-20 titles.
Zimbabwe are third on the all-time list with six championships, while Madagascar and Mozambique are the only other nations to have lifted the trophy, with one victory each. Madagascar’s triumph came in 2005, while Mozambique claimed their maiden crown in 2020. Only five nations have therefore ever been crowned regional Under-20 champions.
South Africa will arrive in Mauritius as not only the defending regional champions but also the reigning African champions after they won the TotalEnergies CAF U-20 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt in 2025, defeating Morocco in the final.
Their success underlines the importance of the COSAFA qualifier as a pathway to the continental stage.
Ghana will host the 2027 continental finals for the second time, having previously staged the competition in 1999, when they were crowned champions on home soil.
TOTALENERGIES CAF U-20 AFRICA CUP OF NATIONS QUALIFIERS | COSAFA DRAW
GROUP A: Mauritius, Namibia, Seychelles, Mozambique
GROUP B: South Africa, Lesotho, Angola, Eswatini
GROUP C: Zambia, Malawi, Comoros, Botswana
