Zambia are the U17 Men’s Cosafa/Region 5 Games champions after a hard-fought 1-0 win over South Africa in the final in Lilongwe in Malawi on Sunday evening.
Both teams had already qualified for the 2023 CAF U17 Africa Cup of Nations by qualifying, and the final only decided who were the Region 5 Games / Cosafa champions.
It was the second time the two nations met in this tournament, with Zambia having won 1-0 in their ‘dead-rubber’ group meeting earlier in the competition. However, it was a very different South African line-up in that game, as Crowie opted to play his second-string team, having already qualified for the semi-finals after their 11-0 win over Seychelles and 1-0 win over Mozambique. In the semi-finals, Amajimbos ran out 5-1 winners over hosts Malawi, while the Zambians beat Botswana 4-2.
Unlike in the group encounter, where Zambia dominated the opening exchanges against the fringe South Africans, it was a much more competitive start to this encounter, with Duncan Crowie’s team edging it, and they could have taken the lead in the opening ten minutes.
Zambia though had chances too and began to create more opportunities as they took control of the first half, but the young Team SA defence were on hand to thwart those Zambian attempts, with Gennaro Johnson making an excellent save five minutes before half-time, while at the other end, Xavier Jodamus tested the Zambian goalkeeper with a good shot moments later.
No goals came in the first half, and the second half resumed with the same tempo, with the action swinging from end to end.
Zambia grabbed the lead in the 59th minute, a deflected shot hit the upright, and Kelvin Phiri was on hand to bundle the ball over the line, although there were hints of off-side and a handball involved in the goal.
While the goal pushed South Africa into action, it was a frustrating game for Crowie’s team, who were not at their best, and saw their rhythm broken by a Zambian team who committed over 25 fouls to just the three of the South Africans.
Zambia held on for the win and to win the competition.
Earlier in the day, in the women’s competition, it was also South Africa and Zambia who contested the final, and the South African U17 team came out victors 4-3 in a seven-goal thriller, coming from behind twice to achieve the win.
Sinazo Ntshota gave Team SA the early lead before the Zambians hit back with two of their own. Nobahle Mdelwa levelled matters to make it 2-2 at the break. Zambia were back in front early in the second half, but Ntshota levelled matters before Andriette Mibe wrapped it up for South Africa with five minutes left of regulation time.
