Online Reporter
THE battles for a place at the 2026 CAF Under-17 AFCON in Morocco get underway today in a regional tournament which is a grand celebration of private investment in domestic football.
The COSAFA Under-17 battles will be held at the Ngoni MWOS Stadium in Norton, which will host the opening games today, and the Heart Stadium in Harare.
Comoros and Eswatini get the ball rolling at Ngoni MWOS Stadium today at midday before Zimbabwe take on Mozambique at 3pm.
The Ngoni MWOS Stadium was refurbished by a substantial investment from MWOS, the sports betting company which owns the Premiership side which goes by the same name.
The Heart Stadium is a personal sacrifice by football-mad Prophet Magaya who built it from scratch and will now go into the history books as the first Zimbabwean to build a stadium where a regional tournament was staged.
Twelve teams will vie for a place at the continental finals, which in turn serve as the qualifiers for the 2026 FIFA Uncer-17 World Cup which will be staged in Qatar.
There will be 10 places for African team in the expanded 48-team format.
Fans will watch all the group games for free.
With only the three group winners and the best runner-up advancing to the semi-finals, every game will carry the weight of a knockout.
The final will be on September 20.
No COSAFA nation has ever lifted the CAF Under-17 Africa Cup of Nations trophy, but there have been close calls.
South Africa finished runners-up in 2015, while Angola took bronze in 2019.
Zambia enter as defending champions and the most successful side in COSAFA Under-17 history, having lifted the title in 2017, 2019, 2022 and 2024.
South Africa are next on the roll of honour with three titles and a remarkable eight finals appearances.
Angola (2018, 2021), Malawi (2001), Zimbabwe (2007) and Namibia (2016) have also claimed glory, underlining the competition’s depth.
Hosts Zimbabwe will enjoy home backing as they look to recapture the magic of their 2007 triumph.
They face stern challenges in Group A from Mozambique, a nation with growing pedigree in junior football, and two underdogs eager to make history in Comoros and Eswatini.
Zambia, the dominant force of the last decade, open their defence in Group B against long-time rivals South Africa in what could be the tie of the tournament.
Madagascar, who have made waves at senior level in recent years, and Malawi, champions in 2001, complete a group that offers no easy passage.
Last year’s beaten finalists Angola will be favourites to top Group C.
They have twice been crowned COSAFA U17 champions and boast a strong development pipeline. Botswana, Mauritius and Lesotho will all be determined to upset the odds and show that they, too, can produce future stars. − Sports Reporter/COSAFA.com
