The 2021 COSAFA Under-20 Championships is to be staged in Eswatini from Dec 10-18 as the top young talent in the region gathers to showcase their potential.
Here are some numbers around the competition that has a rich 38-year history in various guises.
0 – The only final to finish goalless was in 2001 when Zambia needed a penalty shoot-out to beat Angola 5-3 on spot-kicks. The only other final to go to a shoot-out was in 2018 when South Africa defeated Zimbabwe 4-3 after a 1-1 draw.
1 – Mozambique were the top side in 2020 as they defeated Namibia 1-0 in the final to claim a first ever COSAFA title in any age-group.
2 – The highest finish for any guest nation was the silver medal Kenya won in 2013 when they lost 2-0 to South Africa in the final.
3 – Angola lost three finals in a row between 2000 and 2002. They made the deciding match in 2011 but lost once more. They have yet to win the regional title.
3 – This will be the third time Eswatini has hosted the competition after also doing so in 1985 and 1993.
4 – Zambia have won four of the last eight COSAFA Men’s Under-20 Championships played, with South Africa breaking their run in 2013, 2017 and 2018, and Mozambique in 2020.
4 – Zambia hold the record for the most title wins in a row, four, in the championship that were played between 1993 and 1999.
5 – Only five nations have won the COSAFA Under-20 Championships – Zambia (11 times), South Africa (8), Zimbabwe (6), Madagascar (1) and Mozambique (1).
7 – The most goals scored in a game in the 2020 COSAFA Men’s Under-20 Championship as South Africa defeated Lesotho 7-0.
9 – Angola’s Ambrosini Salvador finished top-scorer at the 2019 COSAFA Men’s Under-20 Championships with six goals, and then joint top-scorer in 2020 with a further three. He has nine goals in the last two years.
9 – The most number of goals scored in a single final – South Africa defeated Zambia 5-4 in 2004!
9 – The number of teams that are scheduled to compete in this year’s COSAFA Under-20 Championships – Botswana, Comoros, Eswatini, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Seychelles, South Africa and Zambia.
10 – This year’s COSAFA Under-20 Championships will kick-off on December 10, with the final to be staged eight days later on the 18th.
11 – The number of titles won by Zambia, the most successful nation in the history of the COSAFA Under-20 Championships.
11 – The number of years in a row that South Africa hosted the event between 1999 and 2009.
40 – The number of goals scored at the 2020 COSAFA Men’s Under-20 Championships in 19 games, a little over two per match!
1983 – The first time a regional competition was staged for junior teams. It was won by Zambia.
2000 – The first time a nation other than Zambia or Zimbabwe lifted the trophy – South Africa claimed the prize in 2000.
2005 – Madagascar became just the fourth country to lift the trophy after Zambia, Zimbabwe and South Africa.
