Author: sipongco

The IberCup South Africa tournament hosts the plate and gold playoffs on Sunday in Johannesburg. Titles are on the line.

Catch up with results thus far below.

2005 AGE GROUP RESULTS

Saturday, 14 December 

River Galaxy 0-0 Lusaka Youth SA
Time Tigers Executive FC 0-0 Highlands Park
Socca Dream 0-0 Rockefvs

Sunday 15 December, Fixtures 

Semi-Finals

13:20 – Field-E: Highlands Park vs Socca Dream
13:20 – Field-B: Rockefvs vs Time Tigers

2006 AGE GROUP RESULTS 

Saturday, 14 December 

Total Football Excellence 2-0 Diepkloof Diplomats
RCDE Academy Johannesburg 3-0 KZN Sporting
Clapham High School 2-0 German International S.A

Sunday, 15 December Fixtures  

Semi-finals

10:40 – Field 3-E: Clapham High School vs German International S.A
10:40 – Field 2-B: RCDE Academy Johannesburg vs Total Football Excellence

2007 AGE GROUP RESULTS 

Saturday, 14 December

Group A

Skipper All Stars AFC 0-0 Wits Junior FC
Mamelodi Sundowns 0-0 Free State StarZ

Group B

Stars of Africa FA 0-0 The Football Institute A
Total Football Excellence 0-0 Tec4Tekkers

Group C

Remember Elite SA 1-0 West Youth Academy
Future of Africa 1-0 The Football Institute B
West Youth Academy 2-1 Clapham High School

Group D

Pretoria Football Athletic Club 4-0 The Football Institute
Siyadlala Football Academy 1-0 Ehlanzeni FA
Johannesburg Select 3-0 The Football Institute

Sunday, 15 December, Fixtures

Quarterfinals 

08:00 – Field E-3: Mamelodi Sundowns vs Remember Elite SA
08:00 – Field 2-B: Stars of Africa FA vs Pretoria Athletic Football Club
09:20 – Field 3-E: Clapham High School vs Wits Junior FC
09:20 – Field 2-B: Johannesburg Select vs Tec4Tekkers

Semi-finals

12:00 – Field 3-E: A1 vs A2
12:00 – Field 2-B: A3 vs A4

2008 AGE GROUP RESULTS 

Saturday, 14 December

Group A

Biya4 Academy 2-0 KZN Sporting
Kaizer Chiefs 1-0 Clapham High School

Sunday, 15 December Fixtures

Group A

10:40 – Field 5-L: Kaizer Chiefs vs Centre of Excellence
10:40 – Field 16-H: Warriors FC vs Robertsham Callies FC

Group B

Total Football Excellence 3-0 RCDE Academy Johannesburg
Warriors 3-2 Robertsham Callies FC
Warriors FC 1-0 RCDE Academy Johannesburg
Robertsham Callies FC 2-0 Total Football Excellence

Group C

KZN Lyons FC 4-2 Ehlanzeni
Young Boys 0-0 Centre of Excellence

Sunday, 15 December Fixtures

Quarterfinals 

13:20 – Field 5-L: Clapham High vs KZN Sporting
13:20 – Field 16H: RCDE Academy Espanyol Johannesburg vs KZN Lyons
14:40 – Field 5-L: Young Boys FC vs Total Football Excellence
14:40 – Field 16-H: Ehlanzeni FA vs Biya4 Academy

Semi-finals 

16:20 – Field 17-I: B1 vs B2
16:20 – Field 19-J: B3 vs B4

2009 AGE GROUP RESULTS 

Saturday, 15 December

Group A

Mamelodi Sundowns 1-0 Randburg AFC
SAFA Transnet School of Excellence 1-1 SuperSport United FC
SAFA Transnet School of Excellence 2-0 Randburg AFC
SuperSport United FC 1-0 Mamelodi Sundowns

Group B

Hola Skoko FA 2-1 Rovers FC
Tuks 4-0 Free State StarZ
Tuks 4-0 Rovers FC
Hola Skoko FA 1-0 Free State StarZ

Group C

RCDE Espanyol Johannesburg 1-0 Blackball United FC
JJ Sporting FC 4-1 Turfloop City Football Academy
RCDE Academy Johannesburg 3-2 JJ Sporting FC
Blackball United FC 3-1 Turfloop City Football Academy

Group D

Future of Africa 1-1 The Football Institute A
Breakthrough 5-0 Sunward Park FC
Breakthrough 2-1 Future of Africa
The Football Institute A 0-0 Sunward Park FC

Group E

Langalibalele Sports Academy 1-0 The Football Institute B
Joburg City FC 3-1 Pretoria Athletic Football Club
Pretoria Athletic Football Club 3-0 The Football Institute B
Langalibalele Sports Academy 0-0 Joburg City FC

Group F

Ehlanzeni FA 1-1 Siyadlala Football Academy
Mangaung Metro FA 2-2 Advance Football Academy
Ehlanzeni FA 3-0 Advance Football Academy
Mangaung Metro FA 1-0 Siyadlala Football Academy

Sunday, 15 December, Fixtures 

Playoffs 

08:00 – Field 5-L: SuperSport United FC vs RCDE Academy Johannesburg (A1)
08:00 – Field 16-H: Mamelodi Sundowns vs Breakthrough (A2)
08:00 – Field 17-I: Randburg AFC vs Turfloop City Football Academy (B1)
08:00 – Field 19-J: Free State StarZ vs Siyadlala Football Academy (B2)
09:20 – Field 5-L: SAFA Transnet School of Excellence vs Joburg City FC (A3)
09:20 – Field 16-H: Tuks vs Mangaung Metro FA (A4)
09:20 – Field 17-I: Blackball United FC vs Rovers FC (B3)
09:20 – Field 19-J: Pretoria Athletic Football Club vs The Football Institute A (B4)
10:40 – Field 17-I: Langalibalale Sports Academy vs Sunward Park FC (B5)
10:40 – Field 19-J: Ehlanzeni FA vs Future of Africa (B6)

2010 AGE GROUP RESULTS 

Group A

Saturday, 14 December

PSG 2-1 TS Galaxy
SL Benfica 2-0 Kaizer Chiefs
TS Galaxy 0-0 PSV Eindhoven

Group B

Randburg AFC 3-0 Central Schools FA
Total Football Excellence 1-1 Central Schools FA
Socca Dream 2-0 RCDE Academy Johannesburg

Group C

Stars of Africa 4-1 Free State StarZ
Team Gauteng 7-0 Total Football Excellence B
Stars of Africa FA 4-2 Riverside FC

Quarterfinals 

09:20 – Field 1-A: Kaizer Chiefs vs PSV Eindhoven (A1)
09:20 – Field 4-F: TS Galaxy vs Team Gauteng (A2)
10:40 – Field 1-A: SL Benfica vs Stars of Africa (A3)
10:40 – Field 4-F: PSG vs Total Football Excellence (A4)

Semi-finals 

16:20 – Field 4F: A1 vs A2
16:20 – Field 1-A: A3 vs A4

The Kaizer Chiefs Development u14 team is making headlines at the IberCup South Africa, which is on the go in Johannesburg.

The Johannesburg event features a total of 196 teams competing in various age groups. Included in that number are 24 girls’ teams, among them the highly successful Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies.

Competing in Group A, the Kaizer Chiefs team has impressed against elite clubs Paris Saint Germain (PSG), PSV Eindhoven, SL Benfica, and their Gauteng Development League adversaries, TS Galaxy.

The Phefeni Glamour Boys have, so far, scored three victories against a single defeat.

On Thursday, Chiefs beat TS Galaxy 3-0 and followed that with a 4-1 win over PSV Eindhoven. The following day, they handed PSG a 1-0 loss. On Saturday morning, they were finally stopped by Benfica, who recorded a 2-0 victory.

Group B of the u14 age group is made up of South African sides, including Total Football Excellence A, Randburg AFC, Central Schools FA, Socca Dream, and RCDE Espanyol Johannesburg.

Total Football Excellence A currently tops the group. They scored back-to-back wins on Friday, decisively defeating Socca Dream 4-0 and RCDE Espanyol Johannesburg 2-0. They were held to a 1-1 draw by Randburg AFC in their opening match on Thursday.

Group C is also made up solely of South African teams. Racing ahead of the chasing pack is Team Gauteng.

They began their campaign with a 2-0 win over Stars of Africa on Thursday. Then, facing two outings on Friday, they raised their game to comfortably deal with Free State StarZ 4-0 and Riverside FC 4-1.

On Saturday morning, Team Gauteng made it four wins on the trot, overwhelming Total Football Excellence B 7-0 at the University of Johannesburg’s (UJ) AW Muller Stadium.

2010 AGE GROUP RESULTS

Group A

Thursday, 12 December 

Kaizer Chiefs 3-0 TS Galaxy FC
SL Benfica 1-0 PSG
Kaizer Chiefs 4-1 PSV Eindhoven

Friday 13, December

PSG 1-0 PSV Eindhoven
TS Galaxy 3-0 SL Benfica
PSV Eindhoven 0-0 SL Benfica
Kaizer Chiefs 1-0 PSG

Saturday, 14 December 

PSG 2-1 TS Galaxy
SL Benfica 2-0 Kaizer Chiefs

Group B

Thursday, 12 December

Socca Dream 0-0 Central Schools FA
Randburg AFC 1-1 Total Football Excellence
Central Schools FA 4-1 RCDE Academy Johannesburg

Friday, 13 December

Total Football Excellence A 4-0 Socca Dream
Randburg AFC 3-1 RCDE Academy Johannesburg
Total Football Excellence A 2-0 RCDE Academy Johannesburg
Socca Dream 2-2 Randburg AFC

Group C

Thursday, 12 December

Stars of Africa 11-0 Total Football Excellence B
Riverside FC 2-0 Free State StarZ
Team Gauteng 2-0 Stars of Africa FA

Friday, 13 December

Free State StarZ 0-0 Total Football Excellence B
Team Gauteng 4-1 Riverside
Team Gauteng 4-0 Free State StarZ
Riverside FC 3-1 Total Football Excellence B

Saturday, 14 December 

Stars of Africa 4-1 Free State StarZ
Team Gauteng 7-0 Total Football Excellence B

Zambia completed the double at the u17 Cosafa tournaments, winning both the girls’ and boys’ competitions in Johannesburg on Friday.

The u17 Zambian girls’ team ran riot against Lesotho, thrashing their opponents 15-0 in the final at the University of Johannesburg (UJ) Soweto Campus.

It was a nightmare Friday the 13th for Lesotho as the Copper Princesses raked in the goals, not letting up until the final whistle sounded.

With the victory and the title, Zambia proved why they are currently the leading nation in development football in the SADC region.

Mercy Chipasula scored a jaw-dropping seven goals in the title decider, while Masela Sekeseke weighed in with a hat-trick. Hellen Banda grabbed a double, and Wendy Mwikisa, Janet Chirwa, and Lilian Mwenda all scored a goal as Zambia lifted the winner’s trophy with a superlative effort.

The Zambian boys’ team followed in the footsteps of their female counterparts, capturing the TotalEnergies u17 CAF African Cup of Nations | Cosafa qualifier with a hard-fought 2-1 defeat of Angola.

In an entertaining and competitive clash, the Angolans battled tooth and nail to pull off an upset. However, Abel Nyirongo gave the Zambians the lead after they had dominated the first half. But, with two minutes to go to the break, Omar Oliveira’s freekick deflected off a defender and went into the back of the net to pull the Angolans level.

The Zambian domination continued in the second half, and it appeared to have paid dividends in the 70th minute when Emmanuel Mbuti was brought down inside the box by Josemar Vicente. Abel Nyirongo stepped up to take the shot, but his effort was rejected by Gelson Dala.

Zambia’s control of the contest was eventually rewarded, though, when Jimmy Banda played Nyirongo in for his second goal to complete the Cosafa double for his country.

Awards: TotalEnergies u17 CAF African Cup of Nations | Cosafa qualifier

Player of the Tournament: Mapalo Simute (Zambia)
Golden Boot: Abel Nyirongo (Zambia)
Golden Glove: Geslon Dala (Angola)
Fair Play Prize: Angola

u17 Girls’ Cosafa Tournament

Player of the Tournament: Mercy Chipasula (Zambia)
Golden Boot: Mercy Chipasula (Zambia)
Golden Glove: Loveness Chingwele (Zambia)
Fair Play Prize: Lesotho

The draw for the u17 and u20 Confederation of African Football  (Caf) | Fifa Women’s World Cup qualifiers was held at Caf headquarters in Cairo, Egypt, on Thursday.

The u17 South African team, known as “Bantwana”, will face Gabon in the initial round of the qualifiers.

Bantwana’s home game takes place over the weekend of 10-12 January 2025, with the away match following a week later, on the weekend of 17-19 January.

The South African u17 side will be desperate to get by the Gabonese after missing out on qualification for the 2024 Fifa Women’s World Cup, which was held in the Dominican Republic in November.

The African representatives were Kenya, who qualified for the event for the first time, Nigeria, who made a seventh appearance at the event, and Zambia, who qualified for the second time. Nigeria made it to the quarterfinals, where the five-time African champions fell to the United States, who went on to finish third.

North Korea won the tournament for a third time, beating Spain 4-3 on penalties in the final after the sides had finished regulation time level at 1-1.

The Fifa u17 Women’s World Cup will take place from 17 October to 8 November 2025, with Morocco hosting the ninth edition of the event. It will be the first time that it is played in Africa.

Seven teams out of 24, including the host nation, Morocco, have already qualified. The others are New Zealand, Samoa, Japan, North Korea, South Korea, and China.

The qualifying competitions that are still to be concluded include the CAF u17 Women’s World Cup Qualification 2025, Concacaf Women’s Qualifiers 2025, Conmebol Sub u17 Femenino 2025, and the Uefa Women’s u17 Championship 2024/25.

South Africa’s u20 women’s team, “Basetsana”, takes on the country’s neighbours, Eswatini, in the first leg of qualifying for the 2026 FIFA u20 Women’s World Cup. Their first match will be played on the weekend of 9-11 May 2025, with the second following on the weekend of 16-18 May.

South Africa missed out on qualification for the 2024 Fifa u20 Women’s World Cup in Colombia. The 24 finalists included four African sides: Cameroon, Ghana, Morocco, and Nigeria.

The best of the African countries were Cameroon and Nigeria, who were eliminated in the round of 16. Cameroon went down to Brazil 1-3 after extra time, with the Brazilians bowing out 0-1 to North Korea in the quarterfinals. Nigeria lost 1-2 to the runners-up, Japan. Like their u-17 team, North Korea won the title, edging out Japan 1-0 in the final.

The next Fifa u20 Women’s World Cup takes place in Poland in August 2026.

South Africa was eliminated from the TotalEnergies CAF u17 Africa Cup of Nations | Cosafa qualifier after losing 1-2 to Zambia in the semi-finals at the University of Johannesburg (UJ) AW Muller in Johannesburg on Wednesday.

Many people called the clash the final before the final, with the winner expected to go on to claim the title.

The Zambian side and South Africa arrived with well-prepared, strong squads, ready to battle it out for a place in next year’s u17 Africa Cup of Nations. Unfortunately, for the host nation, their hopes were dashed.

They started well, though, snatching the lead in only the second minute when Simphiwe Mlondo scored following an excellent pass from Emile Witbooi, who posed a significant threat to Zambia with his impressive skills, passes, and well-timed runs. However, in the second half, Zambia effectively neutralised his impact.

The Zambians drew level when Abel Nyirongo converted a penalty.

The intensity of the match was not restricted to the playing field. In the stands, the rivalry was also palpable among the fans, who engaged in chants and banter as they got behind their teams. On the field, the game was characterised by physical contests, which presented the smaller South African players with a stiff challenge.

Witbooi, especially, was on the end of special attention, which led to him having a knee strapped within the first 20 minutes of the game.

The Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system, introduced by the Council of Southern Africa Football Association (Cosafa), was utilised during the semi-finals of both the boys’ and girls’ u17 Cosafa tournaments. It played a huge role in the match between South Africa and Zambia, which led to 20 minutes of stoppages in the first half due to several interruptions.

The game was filled with drama and confusion. In the 24th minute, Zambian midfielder Vincent Mutondo was shown a red card for a reckless tackle on Mlondo following an extensive VAR review. The Zambians were down to 10 men, but South Africa’s goalkeeper Lwandiso Radebe was also shown a red card shortly thereafter for handling the ball outside the penalty area. That decision was confirmed by the match official, Brighton Chimene, resulting in Radebe also exiting the contest early.

In the second half of the match, Zambia slotted a second goal in the 68th minute when the ball slipped through the legs of goalkeeper Lehlohonolo Mosia at the near post. Substitute Robert Banda quickly capitalised, scoring from within the goal area.

During that period of the match, South Africa struggled with ball retention, frequently conceding possession and allowing their opponents to take control. Selywn Stevens and Witbooi were unable to effectively engage the wing players.

In the closing moments of the clash, play was temporarily halted due to lightning and thunder. When it resumed, with only a few minutes remaining, South Africa was unable to alter the outcome, resulting in their failure to qualify for next year’s u17 Africa Cup of Nations.

The 1-2 defeat was painful for the many South African fans in attendance. They recognised that a squad brimming with talent had missed out on a good opportunity.

Zambia will face Angola, who progressed from the other semi-final after defeating Zimbabwe 2-0, for the title and a place in the Africa Cup of Nations.

The finals of the u17 Cosafa tournaments will be played on Friday, 13 December, at the UJ Soweto Campus Stadium and will be streamed on FIFA+.

While Angola and Zambia will meet in the boys’ title decider, the u17 Girls’ Cosafa Championship will be played between Zambia and Lesotho, with the Zambians eager to clinch the double and be crowned the u17 champions of Cosafa in both events.

South Africa experienced a mix of emotions in Monday’s matches at the u17 Cosafa tournaments, with the South African girls’ team surprisingly exiting the competition, while the boys’ team advanced to the semi-finals of the TotalEnergies CAF u17 Africa Cup of Nations | Cosafa qualifier in Johannesburg.

u17 Girl’s Cosafa Championship: Day 6 Round-up

The semi-final line-up for the u17 Cosafa girls’ championship was finalised on Monday, but it didn’t include the home side. They fell to Madagascar, who will take on a formidable Zambian side in one of the semi-finals. In the other semi-final, Lesotho tackles Mozambique.

Madagascar stunned South Africa, the defending champions, winning their Group B decider 1-0 to secure a first-ever appearance in the knockout phase of the u17 girls’ Cosafa Championship. Olivia Rasoamanantena netted the all-important winner for the Malagasy in the first half.

South Africa created opportunities to score in both halves, but squandered them. They also had a goal ruled out in the second half, while Katlego Malebana struck the crossbar as time ticked away.

Alda Fazitady delivered an outstanding performance in goal for Madagascar, denying several attempts from South Africa, including shots from Khwezi Khoza and Leonay Kock.

In the other group B match, Malawi saved their best for last, scoring their only win of the tournament with a stylish 6-1 victory over Namibia.

Emily Samuel opened the scoring, which was followed by Jean Fyson slotting a hat-trick, while captain Talandira Chinyamula and Asimenye Mwanyongo also netted to secure third place for the Malawians in the group, on three points.

Namibia’ grabbed a consolation goal from skipper Nancy Lebang with 16 minutes remaining in the game. Winless, they finished bottom of the standings.

u17 Boy’s TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations | Cosafa qualifier

The home supporters had something to shout about as the South African boys’ u17 team advanced to Wednesday’s semifinals. They’ll face Zambia in the final four at the UJ AW Muller Stadium at 15:00. That clash will be preceded by Angola and Zimbabwe, whose semifinal kicks off at 12:00.

South Africa was given a good workout by Mauritius in their final group C match, coming away with a 3-2 victory.

It had appeared as if it would be a straightforward win when the hosts raced into a 3-0 lead within the first 12 minutes, courtesy of goals from Sive Pama, Neo Bohloko,  and Omphemetse Sekgoto. However, Mauritius tightened up their defences and worked their way back into the contest. Chris Mc Rabaye got the island nation on the board from a free kick, and Jean Ravina converted a penalty. but they came up one goal short of the home side.

Zambia, who will present a strong challenge to the South African team in the semi-finals, after winning all three of their group matches, were stretched by Eswatini but won 1-0 to complete their Group B assignments with a full haul of nine points. Nthasilwe Malupande scored the only goal of the match.

BOYS’ RESULTS, MONDAY, 9 DECEMBER 

TotalEnergies u17 Africa Cup of Nations 2025 | Cosafa qualifier

Group B

Zambia 1-0 Eswatini

Group C

Botswana 1-1 Comoros
South Africa 3-2 Mauritius

Group Standings 

Group A	P	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	PTS
Angola (Qualified)	3	2	1	0	4	2	2	7
Mozambique	3	1	1	1	2	2	0	4
Lesotho	3	1	0	2	4	5	-1	3
Malawi	3	0	2	1	4	5	-1	2

Group B	P	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	PTS
Zambia (Qualified)	3	3	0	0	14	1	13	9
Zimbabwe (Qualified)	3	1	1	1	10	10	0	4
Namibia	3	1	1	1	6	13	-7	4
Eswatini	3	0	0	3	2	8	-6	0

Group C	P	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	PTS
South Africa (Qualified)	3	3	0	0	10	2	8	9
Botswana	3	1	1	1	3	5	-2	4
Comoros	3	0	1	1	1	4	-3	2
Mauritius	3	0	1	2	2	5	-3	1

Wednesday’s Fixtures: 11 December 

Semi-finals 

12:00 – Angola vs Zimbabwe (UJ AW Muller Stadium)
15:00 – South Africa vs Zambia (UJ AW Muller Stadium)

GIRLS’ RESULTS, MONDAY, 9 DECEMBER 

2024 Girls u17 Cosafa Championship

Group B

Madagascar 1-0 South Africa
Malawi 6-1 Namibia

Group C

Zambia 10-0 Mauritius

Group Standings 

Group A	P	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	PTS
Mozambique (Qualified)	3	3	0	0	9	1	8	9
Lesotho (Qualified)	3	2	0	1	16	2	14	6
Eswatini	3	0	1	2	1	8	-7	1
Comoros	3	0	1	2	0	15	-15	1

Group B	P	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	PTS
Madagascar (Qualified)	3	3	0	0	10	2	8	9
South Africa	3	2	0	1	9	2	7	6
Malawi	3	1	0	2	9	9	0	3
Namibia	3	0	0	3	1	16	-15	0

Group C	P	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	PTS
Zambia (Qualified)	3	3	0	0	20	2	18	9
Botswana	3	2	0	1	9	4	5	6
Zimbabwe	3	1	0	2	5	11	-6	3
Mauritius	3	0	0	3	1	18	-17	0

Wednesday, 11 December, Fixtures

Semi-finals 

11:00 – Madagascar vs Zambia (UJ Soweto Campus Stadium)
14:00 – Mozambique vs Lesotho (UJ Soweto Campus Stadium)

The host of the u17 Cosafa tournaments, South Africa, made two ticks in the win column after impressive displays from both their boys’ and girls’ teams on day two of the Cosafa competitions in Johannesburg.

Thursday’s outings at the University of Johannesburg (UJ) AW Muller Stadium were the first appearances for the South African teams in the event.

In the girls’ competition, Leonay Kock, the player of the match, showcased her exceptional talent by scoring a hat-trick to make a significant contribution to South Africa’s victory.

Kock’s superb performance was the latest in a string of impressive showings in national colours, which included her being named the Player of the Tournament at the CAF African Schools Football Championship | Cosafa qualifier in Namibia in October, which South Africa won to secure a place in the 2025 CAF African Schools Football Championship Finals.

Katlego Malebana also found the back of the net as South Africa defeated Malawi 4-2 in their opening match of the u17 Girls’ Cosafa Championship.

Fatima Lali and Asimenye Mwanyongo struck for Malawi in the Group B showdown. However, their efforts weren’t quite enough despite a valiant attempt to take control of the match from the resolute host nation.

After their opener, South Africa occupies second place on the table, behind Madagascar, who outplayed Namibia 5-0 on Thursday at the UJ Soweto Campus Stadium.

With the South African girls’ team having set a strong precedent, the local boys’ team followed suit in their clash against Botswana in a TotalEnergies u17 Africa Cup of Nations | Cosafa qualifier. South Africa was on song from the start and ran out a convincing 4-0 winner.

With the winner of the competition set to qualify for the 2025 u17 Africa Cup of Nations, there is plenty at stake.

Selywn Stevens opened the account for South Africa with a penalty after a foul in the box on Emile Witbooi. It didn’t take long for Witbooi, who showcased exceptional skill throughout the match, to find the back of the net himself.

South Africa’s dominance continued in the second half, with Kamohelo Maraletse and Neo Bohloko doubling the home side’s score.

After their emphatic victory, South Africa is top of Group C in the boys’ competition. They’ll aim to maintain that status when they face Comoros on Saturday

In a boost to the morale of the South African team, they were the sole winners on Thursday as the island nations of Comoros and Mauritius played to a 0-0 draw.

DAY TWO BOYS’ RESULTS 

TotalEnergies u17 Africa Cup of Nations 2025 | Cosafa qualifier

Group B

Zimbabwe 5-1 Eswatini
Zambia 8-0 Namibia

Group C

South Africa 4-0 Botswana
Comoros 0-0 Mauritius

Group Standings

GROUP A	P	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	PTS
Angola	1	1	0	0	2	1	1	3
Malawi	1	0	1	0	1	1	0	1
Mozambique	1	0	1	0	1	1	0	1
Lesotho	1	0	0	1	1	2	-1	0

 

GROUP B	P	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	PTS
Zambia	1	1	0	0	8	0	8	3
Zimbabwe	1	1	0	0	5	1	4	3
Eswatini	1	0	0	1	1	5	-4	0
Namibia	1	0	0	1	0	8	-8	0

 

Group C	P	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	PTS
South Africa	1	1	0	0	4	0	4	3
Comoros	1	0	1	0	0	0	0	1
Mauritius	1	0	1	0	0	0	0	1
Botswana	1	0	0	1	0	4	-4	0

DAY TWO GIRLS’ COSAFA CHAMPIONSHIP RESULTS

Group B

South Africa 4-2 Malawi
Madagascar 5-0 Namibia

Group C

Zimbabwe 2-1 Mauritius

Group Standings

GROUP A	P	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	PTS
Lesotho	1	1	0	0	6	0	6	3
Mozambique	1	1	0	0	5	0	5	3
Comoros	1	0	0	1	0	5	-5	0
Eswatini	1	0	0	1	0	6	-6	0

 

GROUP B	P	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	PTS
Madagascar	1	1	0	0	5	0	5	3
South Africa	1	1	0	0	4	2	3	3
Malawi	1	0	0	1	2	4	-3	0
Namibia	1	0	0	1	0	5	-5	0

 

GROUP C	P	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	PTS
Zimbabwe	1	1	0	0	2	1	1	3
Botswana	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Zambia	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Mauritius	1	0	0	1	1	2	-1	0

 

The University of Johannesburg‘s (UJ) AW Muller Stadium and the UJ Soweto Campus Stadium will host the TotalEnergies u17 Africa Cup of Nations | Cosafa qualifier and the u17 Cosafa Girls’ Championship.

Mozambique had been set to host the event, but post-election protests in the country led to a late decision by Cosafa to move the games to South Africa.

The Council of Southern Africa Football Associations (Cosafa), in a recent press statement, said the decision to move the tournament was made in the best interests of the teams and stakeholders, adding that it wasn’t taken lightly. Mozambique proved to be an excellent host of the TotalEnergies CAF u20 Africa Cup of Nations, which was won by South Africa in October.

The tournament kicks off on Wednesday, 4 December, and will run through until 13 December, which is when the champions will be crowned at the UJ Soweto Stadium.

The boys’ competition is a continental qualifier for the TotalEnergies u17 Africa Cup of Nations 2025, while the girls’ competition will see the 12 nations competing for the coveted regional trophy.

With the event coinciding with the December holiday season, good attendances are expected at the two venues.

Group A has thrown up a Lusophone derby, with Mozambique being drawn alongside Angola. Malawi and Lesotho complete the four-team lineup.

The holders, Zambia, are in Group B with Namibia, Zimbabwe, and Eswatini, while Group C features the hosts, South Africa, Botswana, Comoros, and Mauritius.

In the girls’ competition, Group A includes Mozambique, Comoros, Eswatini, and Lesotho, while Group B features South Africa, the defending champions, who will face Malawi, Namibia, and Madagascar.

Zambia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, and Mauritius make up Group C.

TOTALENERGIES U17 BOYS’ AFRICA CUP OF NATIONS – COSAFA QUALIFIER FIXTURES

4 December

Group A

12:00: Lesotho vs Angola (UJ AW Muller Stadium)
15:00: Mozambique vs Malawi (UJ AW Muller Stadium)

5 December

Group B

12:00: Zimbabwe vs Eswatini (UJ AW Muller Stadium)
15:00: Zambia vs Namibia (UJ AW Muller Stadium)

Group C

12:00:  Comoros vs Mauritius (UJ Soweto Stadium)
15:00: South Africa vs Botswana (UJ Soweto Stadium)

6 December

Group A

12:00: Malawi vs Angola (UJ Soweto Stadium)
15:00: Mozambique vs Lesotho (UJ Soweto Stadium)

7 December

Group B

12:00: Namibia vs Eswatini (UJ Soweto Stadium)
15:00: Zambia vs Zimbabwe (UJ Soweto Stadium)

7 December

Group C

12:00: Botswana vs Mauritius (UJ Soweto Stadium)
15:00: South Africa vs Comoros (UJ Soweto Stadium)

8 December

Group A

15:00: Malawi vs Lesotho (UJ AW Muller Stadium)
15:00: Mozambique vs Angola (UJ AW Muller Stadium)

9 December

Group B

12:00: Namibia vs Zimbabwe (UJ AW Muller Stadium)
12:00: Zambia vs Eswatini (UJ AW Muller Stadium)

9 December

Group C

15:00: Botswana vs Comoros (UJ AW Muller Stadium)
15:00: South Africa vs Mauritius (UJ AW Muller Stadium)

11 December

Semi-finals

12:00: Winner B vs Winner C (UJ Soweto Stadium)
15:00: Winner A vs Best 2nd Placed (UJ Soweto Stadium)

13 December 

Final

15:00: Winner Match 19 vs Winner Match 20 (UJ Soweto Stadium)

COSAFA U17 GIRLS’ CHAMPIONSHIP FIXTURES

4 December

Group A

11:00: Eswatini vs Lesotho (UJ AW Muller Stadium)
14:00: Mozambique vs Comoros (UJ AW Muller Stadium)

5 December

Group B

09:30: Namibia vs Madagascar (UJ Soweto Stadium)
12:30: South Africa vs Malawi (UJ Soweto Stadium)

5 December

Group C

11:00: Zambia vs Botswana (UJ AW Muller Stadium)
15:30: Zimbabwe vs Mauritius (UJ AW Muller Stadium)

6 December 

Group A

09:30: Mozambique vs Eswatini (UJ Soweto Stadium)
14:00: Comoros vs Lesotho (UJ AW Muller Stadium)

7 December

Group B

12:30: Malawi vs Madagascar (UJ Soweto Stadium)
15:30: South Africa vs Namibia (UJ Soweto Stadium)

8 December

Group C

09:30: Zambia vs Zimbabwe (UJ Soweto Stadium)
11:00: Botswana vs Mauritius (UJ AW Muller Stadium)

8 December

Group A

12:30: Comoros vs Eswatini (UJ Soweto Stadium)
15:30: Mozambique vs Lesotho (UJ Soweto Stadium)

9 December

Group B 

12:30: Malawi vs Namibia (UJ Soweto Stadium)
15:30: South Africa vs Madagascar (UJ Soweto Stadium)

9 December

Group C

09:00: Botswana vs Zimbabwe (UJ Muller Stadium)
09:30: Zambia vs Mauritius (UJ Soweto Stadium)

11 December

Semi-finals

11:00: Winner match B vs Winner match C (UJ Soweto Stadium)
14:00: Winner match A vs Best 2nd place (UJ Soweto Stadium)

13 December

Final

11:00: Winner match 19 vs Winner match 20 (UJ Soweto Stadium)

The u20 Women’s Cosafa Football Championship concluded at the University of Johannesburg Soweto Campus Stadium on Sunday, with Zambia lifting the title and South Africa finishing as the runner-up.

Zambia’s Copper Queens had already laid claim to the title on Saturday after recording a fourth successive victory by defeating Mozambique.

They waited eagerly and patiently for Sunday’s action to end before they were able to hoist the silverware.

Zambia entered the competition as the favourites alongside the host nation, South Africa. However, in a statement victory, the Copper Queens outplayed South Africa by three goals to nil on Wednesday.

In the champion’s final match of the tournament, Mozambique produced a valiant effort but ultimately succumbed to the Zambians, who scored a 1-0 win, which was far and away their tightest game of the competition. Zambia delivered four clean sheets from their four outings, finishing the tournament with 19 goals scored and none conceded.

Meanwhile, Lesotho and Botswana shared a 1-1 draw.

South Africa played Botswana on Sunday in their last match. With the winner of the title already decided, neither side had anything to lose (besides the contest) and national pride was at stake. Julia Goncalves, a key player for South Africa, rose to the challenge, netting a hat-trick to lead the home side to a 3-0 victory. Unsurprisingly, after that stellar showing, she was named the Player of the Match.

There were fireworks in Sunday’s other match, between Mozambique and Lesotho. They went at it hammer and tongs in an effort to close with a victory, but, after a tremendous back-and-forth tussle, they had to settle for an exhilarating six-goal thriller and a 3-3 draw.

Tournament Awards

Zambia’s Saliya Mwanza was crowned the Player of the Tournament, while Copper Queens’ star Ruth Muwowo and Adrielle Mibe, from South Africa, shared the Golden Boot Award after scoring four goals each.

Mwila Mufunte received the Golden Glove for the best goalkeeper after not conceding a single goal. Lesotho took home the Fair Play Award.

Tournament Stats 

Matches Played: 10 matches
Goals scored: 42 goals

Final Group Standings

Group A	P	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	PTS
Zambia	4	4	0	0	19	0	19	12
South Africa	4	3	0	1	10	3	7	9
Mozambique	4	1	1	2	6	10	-4	4
Lesotho	4	0	2	2	4	16	-12	2
Botswana	4	0	1	3	3	13	-10	1

South Africa’s u20 women’s football team returned to winning ways on Friday after suffering a 0-3 defeat to Zambia on Wednesday. The home side delivered a decisive performance to defeat Lesotho 3-0 at the University of Johannesburg (UJ) Soweto Campus Stadium.

Following a rest day on Thursday, action in the u20 Women’s Cosafa Championship resumed on Friday, with the South African side focussed on getting back into the win column, while Zambia was out to preserve their perfect record.

Lesotho, thrashed 9-0 by Zambia in their opening match on Tuesday, was aiming for a first victory, while Botswana, who had suffered a narrow 2-3 setback against Mozambique on Wednesday, was aiming to upset the apple cart against the high flying Zambians.

South Africa’s coach Maud Khumalo opted to rest several players for the Lesotho game, which allowed her to assess how others performed when given a start. Khumalo, though, kept a strong core, which included captain Mmabatho Mogale, Nobahle Mdelwa, and Asanda Mchunu.

South Africa dominated the clash, with Mdelwa producing an exceptional performance, which included scoring a goal and assisting on the other two, which led to her, deservedly, being named the Player of the Match. Adrielle Mibe and Gugu Mabitsela also netted for the hosts.

The Copper Queens, Zambia, maintained their unbeaten status with an emphatic 6-0 win over Botswana to improve to a record of three wins and no losses. In those three victories, they’ve scored 18 times without conceding.

In another impressive outing, Jacqueline Nambeya fired Zambia into the lead just one minute into the game. Further goals were scored by Saliya Mwanza, captain Mary Mbewe, Edith Phiri, and Ruth Muwowo. The sixth goal for the Zambians was an own goal, scored by the unfortunate Ivy Mankgatau.

Zambia, with a handsome record, remains the hot favourite to win the Cosafa Championship. On Saturday, they face Mozambique at midday. In the day’s other game, Lesotho takes on Botswana.

The event concludes on Sunday, with South Africa tackling Botswana and Mozambique playing Lesotho. By then, Zambia could have already clinched the title, if they win against Mozambique.