DO OR DIE FOR U-20S

MBABANE – A win or a draw will be enough for the national Under-20 squad to reach the semi-finals of the COSAFA Under-20 Championships currently ongoing in Port Elizabeth, South Africa.

The country lead Group C with three points on head-to-head after they beat Angola in the opener last Friday. Angola is second after the 4-0 win over Botswana on Sunday, with the latter at the bottom of the group without a point.

Only the top team in each group as well as best-placed runner-up will advance to the semi-finals, while the two finalists at this year’s competition will win a place at the 2021 Africa Under-20 Cup of Nations.

build

The country will be hoping to build from the 1-0 win over Angola through a goal scored by Manzini Wanderers Majahesibili Ndlovu on the 77th minute of the game, which proved enough for the Velekhaya Mtsetfwa-led side to pocket the three points. 

They came close last year, earning six points in their pool, but not enough to see them through as the best runner-up behind winners Angola. A draw or a win in this mid-day clash will be enough for the team to break the barrier of reaching the semi-finals for the first time since winning the bronze medal by the Mark Carmichael-captained Under-20 squad in Botswana in 1992.

Meanwhile, Botswana, also known as the Young Zebras, have been regular participants in the COSAFA Men’s Under-20 Championships. Their best finishes in this competition came in 2009 and 2011 when they managed third place. 

Their campaign has not been good in the past years. 

In 2016, the side lost all three of their pool games without scoring a goal, while in 2018 they claimed four points from three games. 

It was the same in 2019, where a 5-0 loss to hosts and eventual champions Zambia was followed by a draw with Malawi (2-2) and a win over Comoros.

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