Defending champions South Africa and host nation Mozambique have secured their places in the final of the TotalEnergies CAF under-20 Africa Cup of Nations | Cosafa Qualifier. The two teams won their respective semi-final matches, with South Africa defeating Zambia 4-2 and Mozambique beating Namibia 3-0. These victories not only earned them a spot in the final but also qualified them for the continental finals in Ghana next year.
South Africa's match against Zambia was an entertaining encounter that saw the Junior Chipolopolo take the lead through Duncan Musialela in the 29th minute. However, the defending champions staged a comeback in the second half, with Steven Mendes equalizing from the penalty spot in the 63rd minute. Oarabile Booysen then put South Africa ahead, but Zambia responded through Jonathan Kalimina to make it 2-2. The match took a decisive turn when Kalimina was shown a red card, and Mendes converted his second penalty to restore South Africa's lead.
Emile Witbooi sealed the victory for South Africa with a magnificent individual effort in stoppage time, dribbling past three defenders before scoring. This win maintained South Africa's perfect record of four wins from four matches and earned them the opportunity to defend their continental title. The team had won the title in 2025 and will now face Mozambique in the final on Sunday.
Mozambique also had a convincing win in their semi-final match, beating Namibia 3-0. Martinho Comecar opened the scoring in the 15th minute, and Diego Pelembe doubled the lead in the 57th minute. Hissen Socrate completed the scoring in the 79th minute, securing Mozambique's passage to the final and sparking celebrations among the home supporters.
This victory was a measure of revenge for Mozambique, who had lost 1-0 to Namibia in the group stage. Mozambique had finished level with Angola on six points but advanced to the knockout rounds as the best runner-up due to their superior Fair Play record. Their semi-final win ended Namibia's perfect run of three wins without conceding in the group stage.
The two losing semi-finalists, Zambia and Namibia, will contest the third-place play-off at ABB Stadium 1 on Sunday at 11h00 CAT. The final between South Africa and Mozambique will take place at 14h00 CAT on the same day. The match will decide the regional title and provide an exciting conclusion to the tournament.
The top scorer in the tournament so far is Steven Mendes from South Africa and Alírio Cuna from Mozambique, both with five goals each. The final on Sunday will be an exciting encounter between two teams that have shown impressive form throughout the tournament.
Key points
- South Africa and Mozambique have qualified for the TotalEnergies CAF under-20 Africa Cup of Nations in Ghana next year.
- The two teams will face each other in the final of the u20 Cosafa Cup on Sunday.
- South Africa came from behind to defeat Zambia 4-2 in their semi-final match.
