Online Reporter
Fungai Muderere
THE Young Warriors will be out to redeem themselves this afternoon when they face Eswatini in their second Group A match of the 2026 TotalEnergies CAF Under-17 Africa Cup of Nations COSAFA Qualifiers.
The crucial encounter kicks off at 3pm at Ngoni Stadium, where Zimbabwe will be desperate to collect maximum points after a shaky start to their campaign.
In their opening match, the Young Warriors suffered a 1-0 defeat to Mozambique in front of a large and expectant home crowd.
The early excitement quickly faded when Chauson Nhabanga struck just eight minutes into the match, finishing off an Allan de Figuereido cross to hand Mozambique the vital win.
With the loss still fresh, Zimbabwe now face a do-or-die battle against Eswatini to keep their hopes of progressing alive.
“We have to bounce back strongly. The boys know what is at stake and we are ready to fight for a positive result,” said one of the team officials.
Fans are expected to once again come out in their numbers, hoping the Young Warriors will deliver a spirited performance and keep the dream of qualifying alive.
Bongani Ndlovu