2020 COSAFA MEN's UNDER-17 CHAMPIONSHIP Guide
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2020 COSAFA MEN'S UNDER-17 CHAMPIONSHIP GUIDE Nelson Mandela Bay November 19-29, 2020 [ MESSAGES ] MESSAGE FROM COSAFA PRESIDENT DR PHILLIP CHIYANGWA IT GIVES US GREAT PLEASURE to be able to host the COSAFA Men’s Under-17 Championship in Nelson Mandela Bay this year, the first time this beautiful city has staged our boys event in this age-group. It is the continuation of a wonderful partnership with the Nelson Mandela Bay municipality that has already seen us host our COSAFA Women’s Championship tournament in the Friendly City for the last three years, as well as the Women’s Under-20 and Under-17 competitions in 2019 and 2020 respectively. Now it is the turn of the boys, with the COSAFA Men’s Under-20 Championship also to be held at It is also pleasing to see that we are able to host the same venue from December 3-13 in what is a our age-group tournaments annually now, giving busy end to the year. junior players a vital chance to test themselves at Of course, we are just delighted to be staging the international level against their peers. any events at all in this most difficult of years After a period when this tournament was which has seen the COVID-19 pandemic wreak hosted sporadically, this will be the fifth year in a havoc with our football calendar. row it has been staged, in Mauritius from 2016- It is a testament to the willingness and foresight 2018, and last year in Malawi. of our partners in the Nelson Mandela Bay Our mandate at COSAFA is to develop the municipality, and the hard work of our team of game on and off the pitch and this experience organisers, that we will have staged four of our six for players, coaches, match officials and tournaments by the end of December, when just administrators will be invaluable in helping them a few months ago it looked as though we might gain knowledge and expertise. have none. It is by hosting and organising tournaments such Much planning has gone into these events, with as these that we see skills improve in all areas, as strict COVID-19 measures in place to safeguard there is nothing better than hands-on experience the players, technical teams, match officials and to gain knowledge. administrators. These measures are all part of the It will be fascinating to see who can claim the ‘new normal’ that we now live with. trophy this year with a fantastic field of teams, This 2020 COSAFA Men’s Under-17 tournament including defending champions Zambia. will have added significance of course as it serves I am sure the football will be entertaining and it as a zonal qualifier for the 2021 CAF Africa is always exciting to catch a glimpse of the stars of Under-17 Cup of Nations. tomorrow. The coveted regional trophy is enough of a prize We must extend our gratitude to the South to fight for, but there will now be the added carrot African Football Association, who will be our of continental qualification as well, with the two excellent hosts in Nelson Mandela Bay. teams that reach the final able to celebrate this SAFA has played a big role in helping us put on success. these four tournaments and we remain grateful We wish all the teams well in this regard and for their assistance in all aspects, including know that whoever does go on to represent this implementing their world-class COVID-19 safety region at the Afcon finals will do so with pride. measures. [ MESSAGES ] MESSAGE FROM SAFA PRESIDENT DR DANNY JORDAAN THE COSAFA As we welcome the region junior tournaments. Men’s UNDER-17 to the Nelson Mandela Bay Once you have the basics CHAMPIONSHIP that will once more, I would like to right, the rest will take care of run from November 19-29 is urge all countries to seize this themselves. a vital competition on the CAF opportunity and build solid junior It is time Africa dominate calendar. sides to compete, not only on the the game and it starts with The tournament will now run continent but to make African development sides. as a zonal qualifier for the junior teams global giants again. I would like to take this CAF AFCON tournament. Of late, Africa has lagged opportunity to welcome The Nelson Mandela Bay has behind in almost all of the everyone including those running of late become the hub of most national teams and this was the competition. important football activities and underscored by all of the five I would also like to thank the the U17 tournament will be nations at the 2018 FIFA World NMB for their continued support followed by the U20 competition. Cup in Russia being eliminated in of the game because without For every national team to the first round. willing partners, the game won’t have sustainable success, it needs We need to do some soul progress to where we want it to have a solid junior side and the searching as a continent and the to be. u/17 forms this backbone. starting point definitely is the Good luck! MESSAGE FROM NELSON MANDELA BAY MUNICIPALITY INTERIM EXECUTIVE MAYOR, CLLR THSONONO HOW TO FOLLOW THE BUYEYE 2020 COSAFA ACTION! There are a number of ways you can keep IT GIVES ME GREAT Without question, we regard up with the action in the 2019 COSAFA PLEASURE to welcome the COSAFA as a crucial portal for the COSAFA Men’s Under-17 exposure and an opportunity to Women’s Championship and 2019 COSAFA Championship to the City of raise our public relations bar a Women’s Uncder-20 CHampionship! Nelson Mandela Bay. notch higher. We express our appreciation It is indeed an opportunity ❖ Go to our website: www.cosafa.com to the COSAFA, SAFA and for all of us to increase our partners for choosing the Nelson awareness of the magnitude of ❖ Follow us on Twitter: @COSAFAMEDIA Mandela Bay as host city for this junior soccer and knowledge exciting championships’, and of this event, whilst instilling ❖ for the hard work in making it a confidence and building positive Like our Facebook page: reality at a time when the world images to our public and the www.facebook.com/COSAFAMEDIA/ is devastated by the Covid-19 world. pandemic. As the Nelson Mandela Bay, ❖ Find us on Instagram: Given the fact that we are we are honoured to welcome the resuming all activities after COSAFA and all the participating www.instagram.com/cosafafootball/ such a big gap that we had to SADC nations to the city. We take in our sports, we do not urge you to spread the message ❖ Check us out on TikTok: @cosafamedia take lightly to the fact that by to your home public that we competing you still put your lives in the Nelson Mandela Bay are ❖ Head to COSAFA TV: www.cosafa.tv at risk every time you meet with most welcoming to our African people. brothers and sisters. HISTORY OF THE COSAFA MEN'S UNDER-17 CHAMPIONSHIP Here is a look back 1994 2001 SOUTH AFRICA MALAWI at the previous The first attempt at a regional Under-17 It would be another seven years tournaments played championship was played in South Africa in before the competition was staged 1994 and won by the hosts. again and this time it took place in since the first some They edged the likes of Zambia, Swaziland Malawi, with the cities of Blantyre and Malawi in the opening stage, as well as and Lilongwe playing host. 26 years ago. recording a 9-0 win over Namibia. Malawi ultimately triumphed as That set up a semifinal with Zimbabwe, they defeated South Africa 3-0 in the which was claimed 5-1 by the hosts, who decider for what should have been then defeated Mozambique 2-1 in the a fine new generation of players, decider. though only Moses Chavula and The South African side included a number Robert Ng’ambi truly went on to fulfil of players who would go on to have full their potential. international careers, including Delron A number of the South African Buckley, Steve Lekoelea and Wayne Roberts. players also did not make it despite But it was Junaid Hartley who proved a strong showing again, though the the star with hat-tricks against Namibia and team did include stalwarts Daine Klate Zimbabwe, as well as another goal in the and Lebogang Mokoena, who would final for a tournament tally of seven. go on to enjoy fruitful careers. 2002 2007 2016 SOUTH AFRICA NAMIBIA MAURITIUS The tournament returned to South Zimbabwe claimed their first title in this age- It would be a long nine- Africa the following year and for the group as they edged South Africa on penalties year wait for the next finals third time running it was the host in the final, winning 4-2 after a 1-1 draw. to be played and this time nation who lifted the trophy. They eased through the pool stages of the the competition was played This time round the competition competition, gaining wins over Angola (2-1) on the Indian Island nation of was played in a round-robin format and Eswatini (3-1), and ultimately sealed their Mauritius. with the four-team field made up of place in the knockout stages after 1-1 draw It proved a wonderful South Africa, Botswana, Lesotho and with hosts Namibia. showcase of the skill among Swaziland. South Africa won both their games in a young players in the region The highlight of the competition three-team pool, beating Lesotho (5-0) and and was ultimately won by was a thrilling 5-4 victory over Mauritius (3-0), while Zambia edged Malawi to Namibia.