Zambia feel pressure to excel at COSAFA U20

Zambia Under-20 coach Chisi Mbewe admits the weight of expectations to win the 2022 COSAFA U20 CUP is high following Zambia’s regional successes this year.

It has been a good year for Zambian teams in COSAFA tournaments after winning the senior men’s title in July and the senior women’s crown in September.

In August, Green Buffaloes won the second edition of COSAFA Zone CAF Women’s Champions League qualifiers and are heading to Morocco later this month for the continental final.

And now the record champions Zambia head to the COSAFA U20 Cup that Eswatini is hosting from October 7-17 seeking an unprecedented 12th junior regional title.

WHY MBEWE FEELS PRESSURE TO DO WELL

“I would say the pressure is there, but again we need to emulate what the senior team, the women, and the Green Buffaloes team,” Mbewe said.

“That is the message that we are sharing with the boys that we can also do the same.

“If the women can do it, and the senior men can do it, then even the young players can do it.

“We keep reminding them that it will not be easy, but if we are united, work together, listen to the instructions from the technical team, then we can go to Eswatini and carry the day.”

Zambia finished fourth in the last tournament held in Nelson Mandela Bay in 2020.

Their last triumph was on home soil in 2019.

Zambia is in Group A at the 12-team tournament, where they are drawn against Botswana and Mauritius and hosts Eswatini.

Group B has Angola, Lesotho, Seychelles and defending champions Mozambique while South Africa, Malawi, Namibia and Comoros are in Group C.

Zambia kicks off its Group A campaign on October 7 against Mauritius.

The three group winners and the best overall runner-up advance to the semifinals on October 14.

In the semifinals, Group A and C winners will face each the winner from Group A will play the best runners-up from the preliminary stages.

The 2022 COSAFA U20 Cup winner and runners-up will qualify for the 2023 U20 AFCON in Egypt.