Zambia Win U17 COSAFA Men's Championship

On Sunday, Zambia won the Under-17 COSAFA men’s Championship after defeating South Africa 1-0 in a tense final held at the Bingu National Stadium in Lilongwe, Malawi.

Kelvin Phiri broke the deadlock from midfield in the 60th minute to secure Zambia’s second victory over South Africa in the tournament. They also defeated South Africa 1-0 in the group stages.  

The COSAFA Cup acts as a qualifier for the Africa Cup. By virtue of reaching the finals, having beaten Botswana and Malawi respectively in the semis, both Zambia and South Africa have now qualified for the Junior Africa Cup in Algeria next year.

The victory caps off a strong year for Zambian youth football after they defeated Mozanbique in October to win the COSAFA under-20s Cup. That was the 13th time the nation has won the COSAFA u20s crown.

Zambian men’s football has never yet returned to the heights of the famous AFCON win in 2012, but it is clear the future is bright.