MBABANE – The country’s Under-20 national team will open their TotalEnergies CAF U-20 Africa Cup of Nations COSAFA qualifying campaign against Angola on Saturday, September 19.
According to the Council of Southern Africa Football Associations (COSAFA) match schedule released yesterday, the two sides will meet at 3pm at the Estádio do Zimpeto in Maputo, having been drawn in Group B alongside regional powerhouse South Africa and Lesotho.
The tournament, taking place in Mozambique from September 18 to 27, 2026, serves as the regional qualifier for the TotalEnergies CAF U-20 Africa Cup of Nations, which will be hosted in Ghana in 2027. Only the two finalists will secure spots at the continental competition.
South Africa and Lesotho will kick off Group B proceedings at the same venue earlier on Saturday at 12pm CAT.
A total of 12 nations, split into three pools of four, are competing for semi-final places. Group A features hosts Mozambique, Mauritius, Namibia and Seychelles, while Group C comprises Zambia, Malawi, Comoros and Botswana.
The group stage follows a round-robin format, with the three group winners and the best runner-up advancing to the last four.
From September 21, matches will transition to the home of Associação Black Bulls in Matola. The semi-finals are scheduled for Friday, September 25, where the winner of Eswatini’s Group B will take on the winner of Group C at 4pm CAT, followed by the Group A winner facing the best runner-up at 7pm CAT.
The third-place play-off takes place at 3pm CAT on Sunday, 27 September, followed by the final at 6.30pm CAT at ABB 1.
All matches will be broadcast live on FIFA+ and COSAFA’s YouTube channel.
Opening Fixtures (Estádio do Zimpeto):
Friday, September 18
12pm CAT: Mauritius vs Namibia (Group A)
3pm CAT: Zambia vs Malawi (Group C)
6pm CAT: Mozambique vs Seychelles (Group A)
Saturday, 19 September
12pm CAT: South Africa vs Lesotho (Group B)
3pm CAT: Angola vs Eswatini (Group B)
6pm CAT: Comoros vs Botswana (Group C)
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