South Africa look to build to 2025 FIFA U17 World Cup
The TotalEnergies CAF Under-17 Africa Cup of Nations 2026 | COSAFA Qualifiers will be staged in Harare, Zimbabwe from September 11-20 with 12 teams hoping to reach the continental finals that are to be held next year.
It will be fascinating to see which sides emerge to not only take the crown, but also advance with the chance of becoming African champions.
The 10th part of our team profiles looks at South Africa, who are three-time winners of the regional title, the last in 2020.
SOUTH AFRICA
Last five tournament finishes:
2019 – Group Stages
2020 – Winners
2021 – Did not enter
2022 – Runners-Up
2024 – Semifinals
South Africa have traditionally been one of the powers in the region at this age-group level three title victories, second only to current holders Zambia, who have four.
South Africa have also been losing finalists a record five times, falling short against the Young Chipolopolo in the 2022 decider.
It means they have appeared in eight of the 12 championship finals held down the years, missing out in only 2017, 2019, 2021 and 2024.
South Africa lifted the inaugural trophy in 1994 when they beat Mozambique 2-1 in the final with a team that contained the likes of Delron Buckley, Steve Lekoelea and Junaid Hartley.
They were victors again in 2002 and 2020, when they defeated Zambia on penalties in the decider.
They did not appear in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the only championship they have missed, but finished runners-up in 2022 and reached the semifinals last time out in 2024.
They lost a title tussle to Zambia in the ast-4, but still qualified for the continental finals in Morocco, and there booked their place at the 2025 FIFA Under-17 World Cup in Qatar.
It is just the second time in their history they will play at the global showpiece event, the last being in 2015 in Chile, where they exited in the group stages.
