The South African Under-17 men’s national team kicked off their campaign in the CAF Under-17 Africa Cup of Nations 2026 | COSAFA Qualifiers with a commanding 4-0 victory over Zambia in their opening match of the competition in Zimbabwe on Friday, 12 September 2025.
Coach Vela Khumalo’s charges were the first to put their name on the stadium scoreboard after Omphemetse Sekgotha broke the deadlock in just under two minutes, slotting home with clinical precision to give the South Africans the lead at the Ngoni Mwos Stadium. The South Africans enjoyed the support of Zimbabwean fans in a game they dominated.
Zambia struggled to cope with Amajimbos’ high pressing and speed on the wings, which gradually shifted the momentum in favour of Khumalo’s charges. In the 25th minute, the South Africans were awarded a penalty and Mpho Molepo punished the Zambians to increase the lead. The South Africans were just getting started as Thandanani Mhlongo glided past the Zambian rearguard and scored the third goal of the match at the stroke of half-time.
Things got worse for Zambia as they scored an own goal in the 74th minute to complete an eventful afternoon. The South Africans will face Madagascar in their second match on Sunday, 14 September 2025 at Hearts Stadium. Kickoff is at 12h00. South African Football Association (SAFA) President Dr Danny Jordaan congratulated the team and wished them well in the regional tournament. “We are concentrating on our football programmes just as we have always done. Our support for our teams is unwavering, and we have several teams that are about to embark on campaigns in the coming weeks. We will not be distracted and we remain focused,” the SAFA President told www.safa.net.
COSAFA said with only the three group winners and the best runner-up advancing to the semifinals, every game will carry the weight of a knockout. Two venues – the Ngoni Stadium and the Hearts Stadium – are staging the games, culminating in the final on September 20.
No COSAFA nation has ever lifted the CAF Under-17 Africa Cup of Nations trophy, but there have been close calls. South Africa finished runners-up in 2015, while Angola took bronze in 2019.
The competition has, however, consistently produced talent for the senior game. Many internationals first made their mark in COSAFA youth tournaments. With the pathway now stretching to a newly expanded FIFA U17 World Cup – which will feature 10 African teams – the stakes are higher than ever.
Zambia enters as defending champions and the most successful side in COSAFA U17 history, having lifted the title in 2017, 2019, 2022 and 2024. South Africa are next on the roll of honour with three titles and a remarkable eight finals appearances. Angola (2018, 2021), Malawi (2001), Zimbabwe (2007) and Namibia (2016) have also claimed glory, underlining the competition’s depth.
The top three sides from this competition will progress to the CAF U17 Africa Cup of Nations next year. From there, the best teams on the continent will battle for one of ten African slots at the FIFA U17 World Cup.
