Zambia's U17 Boys and Girls Teams Secure Final Spots at COSAFA

11.12.2024 | Football DNA

Zambia's U17 boys' and girls' teams have both secured spots in the final of the 2024 COSAFA U17 Championships after impressive performances in their respective semi-finals in Johannesburg on Wednesday.

The defending champions, Zambia's U17 boys, battled hard to defeat South Africa 2-1 in a thrilling encounter. Despite an early setback with a goal from Simphiwe Mlondo in the 1st minute, Zambia bounced back with resilience. Abel Nyirongo equalized with a penalty in the 22nd minute, and substitute Robert Banda scored the winning goal in the 67th minute, ensuring their place in the TotalEnergies U17 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) 2025 and the COSAFA final. They will now face Angola, who triumphed 2-0 over Zimbabwe in the other semi-final, in the grand finale on Friday, 13 December 2024, at 15h00 at the UJ Soweto Stadium in Johannesburg. Both teams will represent the region at the U17 AFCON in 2025.

In the earlier match, Zambia’s U17 girls, the Copper Princesses, continued their dominant run with a commanding 3-0 win over Madagascar. Goals from Hellen Banda, Grace Phiri, and captain Mercy Chipasula, who has now scored six goals and won her third Player of the Match Award, propelled Zambia into their fourth consecutive appearance in the COSAFA U17 Girls Championship final. They will face Lesotho, who secured a dramatic last-minute victory over Mozambique through a goal by Nteboheleng Sooane. The girls' final will take place on Friday, 13 December 2024, at 11h00.

Both Zambia’s boys and girls have shown remarkable determination and skill, and will be looking to bring home the coveted COSAFA titles this Friday.