Online Reporter
Eddie Chikamhi
Zimpapers Sports Hub
HOSTS Zimbabwe have to win their match against Eswatini today to keep alive their chances of progressing to the next stage of the TotalEnergies CAF Under-17 Africa Cup of Nations 2026/COSAFA Qualifiers currently underway in Harare.
Kickoff is 3pm at Ngoni Stadium in Norton.
Thulani Sibanda’s teenagers were left with homework on their hands after encountering a 1-0 defeat in their opening match of the campaign against Mozambique on Thursday.
Zimbabwe put up a lacklustre performance and were duly punished by the technically and tactically sound Mozambicans.
Eswatini also lost their first match via a 0-3 hiding by Comoros in the other Group A match.
And, with only the top team from the group assured of progressing automatically to the semi-finals, the hosts find themselves having to do a lot of fire-fighting today and on Monday when they face the impressive Comoros.
Zimbabwe landed on third place at the end of Match-day one matches. Comoros lead the group on superior goal difference as they have the same number of points – three – as Mozambique.
Comoros and Mozambique clash in a top-of the table encounter at The Heart stadium in a midday clash.
By the time Zimbabwe engage Eswatini, the Young Warriors will be in full picture of what is expected of them. Sibanda believes the Young Warriors can still turn things around, with the backing from the home fans who showed so much passion when Zimbabwe played Mozambique.
“We are not yet out, we still believe,” said Sibanda. We thank the supporters very much for their support and we ask them to continue. We still believe. We are not yet out. We still can move forward.”
However, there were concerns about Zimbabwe’s Under-17’s application in the first match. The Young Warriors looked disjointed and lacked hunger to push on despite receiving lively support from the home fans.
Sibanda will also need to organise his charges and ensure they play more as a cohesive unit than being individualistic as was the case in parts of their match against Mozambique.
Asked if the game against Eswatini could be less intense compared to Mozambique, Sibanda said: “No, not exactly, because also they want to rectify the problems that they made in their game. We just have to stick to what we do best.
“Of course, we do have good players among us who were not in their best game (against Mozambique). We just feel that in the second game we will try to make them recover and then play our best type of football.”
Eswatini Under-17 coach Sindiso Guma said their defeat to Comoros was a wake-up call, which should spur them on to perform better against the hosts.
“It’s a game of football. You will not win all. You learn from your mistakes and then we have to go back and see where we can correct and try to focus on our next game,” said Guma.
Eswatini sit at the bottom of the table with no points but just like Zimbabwe they are also still fancying their chances for a comeback.
Guma told journalists that they would work on their shortcomings before returning to Norton for the second game, which could ultimately decide their fate should they fail to win.
“I think the boys have seen what we mean by international games. We have seen the expectations that they have to meet more, especially because most of them, if not all of them are here for the first time, so they have to learn.
“So, we have to adjust. We are going to go back to work on their mental strength and mental resilience for them to come up to the party and see what we can do,” said Guma.
Fixtures:
Mozambique v Comoros (Heart, 12 noon), Zimbabwe v Eswatini (Ngoni, 3pm)
