One exciting feature of this year’s COSAFA Under-20 competition is the fact that it doubles up as a zonal qualifier for the TotalEnergies AFCON U20 Egypt 2023 that is scheduled to be hosted early next year.
Previously teams have used the regional Under-20 championship to fine-tune for qualifiers for the continental showpiece, but now it will take up that status on its own, with the two finalists both earning a place in Egypt.
The Under-20 Cup of Nations will in turn provide qualification for the 2023 FIFA Under-20 World Cup in Indonesia, meaning the COSAFA event this year in Eswatini is the beginning of that journey.
It is no surprise that South Africa’s success in reaching the last two FIFA Under-20 World Cups in 2017 and 2019 is off the back of them winning the COSAFA title in 2017 and 2018.
Nine of the 14 COSAFA nations have qualified for the continental finals in the past, with Angola (2001) and Zambia (2017) the only ones to win gold.
South Africa were runners-up in 1997 and won the bronze medal in 2019, the only other Southern African side to finish in the top three.
The four semi-finalists at the TotalEnergies AFCON U20 Egypt 2023 will book a place in the World Cup.
Here is a rundown of how the COSAFA teams have fared at the Africa Under-20 Cup of Nations, considering it was played as a knockout competition until 1991:
ANGOLA
Qualified (6): 1983, 1985, 1989, 1999, 2001, 2005
Best finish: Winners (2001)
ESWATINI
Qualified (1): 1983
Best finish: First round (1983)
LESOTHO
Qualified (3): 1989, 2005, 2011
Best finish: Group Stages (2005, 2011)
MALAWI
Qualified (1): 1999
Best finish: Group Stages (1999)
MAURITIUS
Qualified (3): 1979, 1993, 1995
Best finish: Group Stages (1993, 1995)
MOZAMBIQUE
Qualified (1): 1987
Best finish: Quarterfinals (1987)
SOUTH AFRICA
Qualified (8): 1997, 2001, 2003, 2009, 2011, 2015, 2017, 2019
Best finish: Runners-up (1997)
ZAMBIA
Qualified (9): 1985, 1987, 1991, 1995, 1997, 1999, 2007, 2015, 2017
Best finish: Winners (2017)
ZIMBABWE
Qualified (3): 1981, 1983, 1985
Best finish: Quarterfinals (1983, 1985)
