(At Manzini Club Sports Ground)
MANZINI – Eswatini’s Under-15 boys hoisted the country’s flag high, securing a third-place finish at the CAF African Schools Football Championship /COSAFA Qualifiers.
Eswatini held Malawi to a 1-all draw before winning 4-3 on penalties. The Confederation of African Football (CAF) matches were played in Stellenbosch, South Africa. The COSAFA official X page confirmed these results. Junior Sibandze pulled one back for Eswatini in regulation time. Their shot-stopper Yenziwe Maziya, a son to legend Lwazi ‘Zidane’ Maziya made two saves on penalties, ensuring the win. Following the victory, they are guaranteed slightly over E840 000 as per yesterday’s exchange rate (US$50 000). This is as a per a press release shared through the Council of Southern Africa Football Associations (COSAFA) Media Manager Lynda Greef last month.
“The winners of the CAF African Schools Football Championship COSAFA Qualifier this year will receive US$100 000, with the runners-up taking home US$75 000, and the bronze medallists getting US$50 000,” part of the statement read.
Eswatini had suffered a 2-0 defeat to South Africa in the semi-finals after qualifying for this round by virtue of being best runners-up on Saturday. Their best performance was cruising 3-0 against Comoros on Friday.
The girls, on the other hand, fell 2-0 to Lesotho when fighting for third-place two days ago. The girls were even more ruthless, winning 6-0, thanks to a hat-trick from standout player Nosipho Gwebu, who was rightly awarded Player of the Match in group stages.
Ten teams were battling for a spot at the continental finals next year. The competition was more than just football; it includes workshops for young coaches, referees and reporters, offering valuable life lessons and training in areas like safeguarding and football analytics.
This prize money is to be used for infrastructure development at schools, and many teams have invested in educational and sporting aids for their learners.
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