2024 COSAFA U-20 Cup

Last updated
2024 COSAFA Under-20 Cup
Tournament details
Host countryMozambique
City Matola
Dates26 September–5 October
Teams12 (from 1 sub-confederation)
Venue(s) Estádio da Matola
Final positions
ChampionsFlag of South Africa.svg  South Africa
(9th title)
Runners-upFlag of Zambia.svg  Zambia
Tournament statistics
Matches played18
Goals scored55 (3.06 per match)
Top scorer(s) Flag of South Africa.svg Lee Jody Ahshene
(4 goals)
Best player(s) Flag of South Africa.svg Shandre Campbell
Best goalkeeper Flag of South Africa.svg Fletcher Smythe-Lowe
Fair play awardFlag of Zambia.svg  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.

Contents

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.

TeamAppearancesPrevious best performance
Flag of Angola.svg  Angola 29thRunner-up
(2000, 2001, 2002, 2011)
Flag of Botswana.svg  Botswana 22nd3rd Place
(2009, 2011)
Flag of the Comoros.svg  Comoros 5thGroup stage
(2013, 2016, 2019, 2020)
Flag of Eswatini.svg  Eswatini 29thChampion
(2020)
Flag of Lesotho.svg  Lesotho 29thRunner-up
(1990, 2005, 2017)
Flag of Malawi.svg  Malawi 20th4th Place (1986, 2000, 2006, 2011)
Flag of Mozambique.svg  Mozambique 29thChampion
(2020)
Flag of Namibia.svg  Namibia 29thChampion
(2020)
Flag of South Africa.svg  South Africa 29thChampion
(2000, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2013, 2017, 2018)
Flag of Zambia.svg  Zambia 29thChampion
(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]

SeededPot 1Pot 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

PosTeamPldWDLGFGAGDPtsQualification
1Flag of Zimbabwe.svg  Zimbabwe 321051+47 Semi-finals
2Flag of Botswana.svg  Botswana 312032+15
3Flag of Eswatini.svg  Eswatini 31115724
4Flag of Mozambique.svg  Mozambique (H)30035830
Source: COSAFA
(H) Hosts
Zimbabwe  Flag of Zimbabwe.svg1–1Flag of Botswana.svg  Botswana
  • Moyo Soccerball shade.svg30'
Report
Mozambique  Flag of Mozambique.svg4–5Flag of Eswatini.svg  Eswatini
Report

Eswatini  Flag of Eswatini.svg0–3Flag of Zimbabwe.svg  Zimbabwe
Report
Mozambique  Flag of Mozambique.svg1–2Flag of Botswana.svg  Botswana
Report

Eswatini  Flag of Eswatini.svg0–0Flag of Botswana.svg  Botswana
Report
Mozambique  Flag of Mozambique.svg0–1Flag of Zimbabwe.svg  Zimbabwe
Report

Group B

PosTeamPldWDLGFGAGDPtsQualification
1Flag of Angola.svg  Angola 220041+36 Semi-finals
2Flag of Zambia.svg  Zambia 21013413
3Flag of Namibia.svg  Namibia 20021320
4Flag of Madagascar.svg  Madagascar 00000000Withdrew
Source: COSAFA

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

Zambia  Flag of Zambia.svg1–3Flag of Angola.svg  Angola
Report

Angola  Flag of Angola.svg1–0Flag of Namibia.svg  Namibia
Report

Zambia  Flag of Zambia.svg2–1Flag of Namibia.svg  Namibia
Report

Group C

PosTeamPldWDLGFGAGDPtsQualification
1Flag of South Africa.svg  South Africa 3300130+139 Semi-finals
2Flag of the Comoros.svg  Comoros 31022423
3Flag of Malawi.svg  Malawi 31024953
4Flag of Lesotho.svg  Lesotho 31023963
Source: COSAFA
Comoros  Flag of the Comoros.svg1–0Flag of Lesotho.svg  Lesotho
Report
South Africa  Flag of South Africa.svg5–0Flag of Malawi.svg  Malawi
Report

Malawi  Flag of Malawi.svg2–1Flag of the Comoros.svg  Comoros
Report
South Africa  Flag of South Africa.svg6–0Flag of Lesotho.svg  Lesotho
Report

Malawi  Flag of Malawi.svg2–3Flag of Lesotho.svg  Lesotho
Report
Comoros  Flag of the Comoros.svg0–2Flag of South Africa.svg  South Africa
Report

Ranking of second-placed teams

PosGrpTeamPldWDLGFGAGDPtsQualification
1 B Flag of Zambia.svg  Zambia 21013413 Semi-finals
2 A Flag of Botswana.svg  Botswana 20201102
3 C Flag of the Comoros.svg  Comoros 20021430
Source: COSAFA
Rules for classification: Group tiebreakers

Knockout stage

Bracket

 
Semi-finals Final
 
      
 
3 October - Matola
 
 
Flag of Angola.svg  Angola 0
 
5 October - Matola
 
Flag of South Africa.svg  South Africa 1
 
Flag of South Africa.svg  South Africa 2
 
3 October - Matola
 
Flag of Zambia.svg  Zambia 0
 
Flag of Zimbabwe.svg  Zimbabwe 2 (5)
 
 
Flag of Zambia.svg  Zambia (p)2 (6)
 

Semi-finals

Angola  Flag of Angola.svg0–1Flag of South Africa.svg  South Africa

Zimbabwe  Flag of Zimbabwe.svg2–2Flag of Zambia.svg  Zambia
Penalties
5–6

Final

South Africa  Flag of South Africa.svg2–0Flag of Zambia.svg  Zambia

Goalscorers

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

4 goals

3 goals

2 goals

1 goal

1 own goal

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.