Source: @COSAFA

Youth football in southern Africa gets a proper workout over the next fortnight, with Mozambique stepping in as host of a regional qualifying tournament that decides who represents the zone at next year’s continental finals. Twelve under-20 sides land in Maputo and Matola between 18 and 27 September, split into three groups of four, with only two tickets to Ghana 2027 up for grabs.

The format rewards consistency rather than one big result. Group winners go through automatically, and the fourth semi-final berth goes to the best runner-up across all three pools, so goal difference and points accumulated over three matches will matter just as much as who tops each table on paper.

HOW THE U-20 COSAFA QUALIFIERS GROUPS LINE UP

Mozambique were handed a kind draw on home turf, sharing Group A with Mauritius, Namibia and Seychelles. Group B pits South Africa against Angola, Lesotho and Eswatini, a pool that on paper looks the most evenly matched of the three. Group C brings together Zambia, Malawi, Comoros and Botswana, four teams with contrasting styles that should produce some open, attacking football.

Every side plays a round robin within its group, meaning three matches each before the knockout stage begins. That structure tends to punish slow starters, since a stumble in round one leaves little room to recover against sides fighting for the same two or three qualifying places.

FIXTURES AT ESTADIO DO ZIMPETO, MAPUTO

Friday 18 September

  • 12h00: Mauritius v Namibia (Group A)
  • 15h00: Zambia v Malawi (Group C)
  • 18h00: Mozambique v Seychelles (Group A)

Saturday 19 September

  • 12h00: South Africa v Lesotho (Group B)
  • 15h00: Angola v Eswatini (Group B)
  • 18h00: Comoros v Botswana (Group C)

Sunday 20 September

  • 12h00: Mauritius v Seychelles (Group A)
  • 15h00: Mozambique v Namibia (Group A)

FIXTURES AT ASSOCIAÇÃO BLACK BULLS, MATOLA

Monday 21 September

  • 11h00: Zambia v Comoros (Group C, ABB 2)
  • 14h00: Botswana v Malawi (Group C, ABB 2)
  • 15h00: South Africa v Angola (Group B, ABB 1)
  • 18h00: Eswatini v Lesotho (Group B, ABB 1)

Tuesday 22 September

  • 15h00: Namibia v Seychelles (Group A, ABB 2)
  • 15h00: Mozambique v Mauritius (Group A, ABB 1)

Wednesday 23 September

  • 12h00: South Africa v Eswatini (Group B, ABB 1)
  • 12h00: Lesotho v Angola (Group B, ABB 2)
  • 15h00: Zambia v Botswana (Group C, ABB 1)
  • 15h00: Malawi v Comoros (Group C, ABB 2)

Friday 25 September – Semi-finals, ABB 1

  • 16h00: Winner Group B v Winner Group C
  • 19h00: Winner Group A v Best runner-up

Sunday 27 September, ABB 1

  • 15h00: Third-place play-off
  • 18h30: Final

A rest day sits between the semi-finals and the closing weekend, which gives the two finalists a proper turnaround before a match that settles who books a continental finals berth alongside the eventual champions.

South Africa go in as one of the sides with the strongest recent pedigree in this age group, but Zambia and Angola have both produced sharp underage crops in recent cycles and will fancy their chances of reaching the last four. Mozambique carry the extra motivation of a home tournament, and Zimpeto’s early atmosphere could count for something once the group stage tightens.

WHERE TO WATCH THE COSAFA QUALIFIERS

Every match of the tournament will be available live on FIFA+ and the COSAFA YouTube Channel, giving supporters outside the stadium access to the full competition. COSAFA has confirmed both platforms as the official broadcast destinations for the tournament.