2024 COSAFA U-20 Cup

2024 COSAFA Under-20 Cup
Tournament details
Host countryMozambique
CityMatola
Dates26 September–5 October
Teams12 (from 1 sub-confederation)
Venue(s)Estádio da Matola
Final positions
Champions South Africa
(9th title)
Runners-up Zambia
Tournament statistics
Matches played18
Goals scored55 (3.06 per match)
Top scorer(s) Lee Jody Ahshene
(4 goals)
Best player(s) Shandre Campbell
Best goalkeeper Fletcher Smythe-Lowe
Fair play award Zambia
2022
2025

The 2024 COSAFA U-20 Cup was the 29th edition of the COSAFA U-20 Challenge Cup, an international youth football tournament open to national associations of the COSAFA region. It took place between 26 September and 5 October 2024 in Mozambique. This competition served as the COSAFA qualifiers for the 2025 U-20 Africa Cup of Nations.

South Africa defeated defending champions Zambia 2-0 in the final. Both finalists qualified for the 2025 U-20 Africa Cup of Nations.[1][2] South Africa scored 16 goals in the five matches played, with zero goals conceded against them.

Participating teams

The following twelve teams contested the tournament.

Team Appearances Previous best performance
 Angola 29th Runner-up
(2000, 2001, 2002, 2011)
 Botswana 22nd 3rd Place
(2009, 2011)
 Comoros 5th Group stage
(2013, 2016, 2019, 2020)
 Eswatini 29th Champion
(2020)
 Lesotho 29th Runner-up
(1990, 2005, 2017)
 Malawi 20th 4th Place (1986, 2000, 2006, 2011)
 Mozambique 29th Champion
(2020)
 Namibia 29th Champion
(2020)
 South Africa 29th Champion
(2000, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2013, 2017, 2018)
 Zambia 29th Champion
(1983, 1986, 1993, 1995, 1997, 1999, 2003, 2010, 2011, 2016, 2019, 2022)

Venues

Match officials

Draw

The draw was held on 5 September 2024 at 11:00 CET (UTC+2) at Maputo.The 12 teams were drawn into three groups of four teams, with hosts Mozambique seeded in Group A (position A1), the defending champions Zambia seeded in Group B (position B1) and South Africa seeded in Group C (position C1). The remaining 9 teams were allocated to two pots based on the results of the previous tournament edition and were drawn to the remaining positions.[3]

Seeded Pot 1 Pot 2

Group stage

The group stage were played in 3 groups as a round-robin, where the winners and the best runner-up advanced to the semi-finals. Because of Madagascar's withdrawal, points gained against the team finishing last in Groups A and C were not included in the calculation of the best runner-up.

Group A

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1  Zimbabwe 3 2 1 0 5 1 +4 7 Semi-finals
2  Botswana 3 1 2 0 3 2 +1 5
3  Eswatini 3 1 1 1 5 7 −2 4
4  Mozambique (H) 3 0 0 3 5 8 −3 0
Source: COSAFA
(H) Hosts
Zimbabwe 1–1 Botswana
  • Moyo 30'
Report
  • Kaku 74'
Mozambique 4–5 Eswatini
  • Neves 20', 62'
  • Jose 59' (pen.)
  • Seia 90+5'
Report
  • Dube 36'
  • Mdluli 38', 53'
  • Mazibuko 47'
  • Gwebu 77'

Eswatini 0–3 Zimbabwe
Report
Mozambique 1–2 Botswana
  • Neves 42'
Report
  • Japane 68'
  • Ratshukudu 77' (pen.)

Eswatini 0–0 Botswana
Report
Mozambique 0–1 Zimbabwe
Report
  • Moyo 47'

Group B

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1  Angola 2 2 0 0 4 1 +3 6 Semi-finals
2  Zambia 2 1 0 1 3 4 −1 3
3  Namibia 2 0 0 2 1 3 −2 0
4  Madagascar 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Withdrew
Source: COSAFA

 Madagascar was also drawn into this group but withdrew before playing.[4]

Zambia 1–3 Angola
  • Mwale 72'
Report
  • Haidara 28'
  • Pedro 31'
  • Chanda 90+3' (o.g.)

Angola 1–0 Namibia
  • Quissequel 89'
Report

Zambia 2–1 Namibia
  • Mwanza 37'
  • Simukonda 62'
Report
  • Goagoseb 65'

Group C

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1  South Africa 3 3 0 0 13 0 +13 9 Semi-finals
2  Comoros 3 1 0 2 2 4 −2 3
3  Malawi 3 1 0 2 4 9 −5 3
4  Lesotho 3 1 0 2 3 9 −6 3
Source: COSAFA
Comoros 1–0 Lesotho
  • Bacar 81'
Report
South Africa 5–0 Malawi
  • April 36', 45'
  • Ahshene 49'
  • Lethlaku 68'
  • Mbokazi 74'
Report

Malawi 2–1 Comoros
  • Kaduya 11', 79'
Report
  • Ahamada 27'
South Africa 6–0 Lesotho
  • Ahshene 17'
  • Campbell 25', 75'
  • Mofoko 42' (o.g.)
  • Lethlaku 50'
  • Timba 56'
Report

Malawi 2–3 Lesotho
  • Masinja 64'
  • Mhango 85' (pen.)
Report
  • Maile 5' (pen.) 58'
  • Nthaka 43'
Comoros 0–2 South Africa
Report

Ranking of second-placed teams

Pos Grp Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1 B  Zambia 2 1 0 1 3 4 −1 3 Semi-finals
2 A  Botswana 2 0 2 0 1 1 0 2
3 C  Comoros 2 0 0 2 1 4 −3 0
Source: COSAFA
Rules for classification: Group tiebreakers

Knockout stage

Bracket

 
Semi-finalsFinal
 
      
 
3 October - Matola
 
 
 Angola0
 
5 October - Matola
 
 South Africa1
 
 South Africa2
 
3 October - Matola
 
 Zambia0
 
 Zimbabwe 2 (5)
 
 
 Zambia (p)2 (6)
 

Semi-finals

Angola 0–1 South Africa
  • Ahshene 25'

Zimbabwe 2–2 Zambia
  • Mwale 25'
  • Simukonda 25'
Penalties
5–6

Final

South Africa 2–0 Zambia

Goalscorers

There were 55 goals scored in 18 matches, for an average of 3.06 goals per match.

4 goals

  • Lee Jody Ahshene

3 goals

2 goals

  • Alakhe Mdluli
  • Paseka Maile
  • Adiel Kaduya
  • Shakeel April
  • Kutlwana Lethlaku
  • Mumba Mwale
  • David Simukonda
  • Enock Moyo

1 goal

  • Amado Haidara
  • Simão Pedro
  • Filipe Quissequel
  • Gaone Japane
  • Losika Ratshukudu
  • Philip Kaku
  • Falahidine Ahamada
  • Malaik Bacar
  • Malwande Gwebu
  • Njongo Mazibuko
  • Phiwayinkhosi Dube
  • Chewane Ntakha
  • Fernando Jose
  • Yuran Seia
  • Mwisho Mhango
  • Hermas Masinja
  • Engilio Goagoseb
  • Ofentse Kgosana
  • Siyabonga Mabena
  • Mbekezeli Mbokazi
  • Sifiso Timba
  • Tanaka Cherera
  • Nisbet Muzenda
  • Emmanuel Mwanza

1 own goal

  • Leluma Mofoko (Against South Africa)
  • Fostino Chanda (Against Angola)

See also

References

  1. ^ "Shandre Campbell shines as Afcon-bound South Africa are crowned Cosafa Under-20 champions | Goal.com South Africa". www.goal.com. 2024-10-05. Retrieved 2024-10-05.
  2. ^ "EN, FR, PR: South Africa claim ninth COSAFA Under-20 crown". 2024-10-05. Retrieved 2024-10-05.
  3. ^ "Draws concluded in Maputo for Under-20 and Under-17 competitions". Council of Southern Africa Football Associations. 5 September 2024. Retrieved 7 September 2024.
  4. ^ "Race for African place gets under way in COSAFA U20 Qualifier". Council of Southern Africa Football Associations. 25 September 2024. Retrieved 26 September 2024.