South Africa off to winning starts in u17 Cosafa tournaments

The host of the u17 Cosafa tournaments, South Africa, made two ticks in the win column after impressive displays from both their boys’ and girls’ teams on day two of the Cosafa competitions in Johannesburg.

Thursday’s outings at the University of Johannesburg (UJ) AW Muller Stadium were the first appearances for the South African teams in the event.

In the girls’ competition, Leonay Kock, the player of the match, showcased her exceptional talent by scoring a hat-trick to make a significant contribution to South Africa’s victory.

Kock’s superb performance was the latest in a string of impressive showings in national colours, which included her being named the Player of the Tournament at the CAF African Schools Football Championship | Cosafa qualifier in Namibia in October, which South Africa won to secure a place in the 2025 CAF African Schools Football Championship Finals.

Katlego Malebana also found the back of the net as South Africa defeated Malawi 4-2 in their opening match of the u17 Girls’ Cosafa Championship.

Fatima Lali and Asimenye Mwanyongo struck for Malawi in the Group B showdown. However, their efforts weren’t quite enough despite a valiant attempt to take control of the match from the resolute host nation.

After their opener, South Africa occupies second place on the table, behind Madagascar, who outplayed Namibia 5-0 on Thursday at the UJ Soweto Campus Stadium.

With the South African girls’ team having set a strong precedent, the local boys’ team followed suit in their clash against Botswana in a TotalEnergies u17 Africa Cup of Nations | Cosafa qualifier. South Africa was on song from the start and ran out a convincing 4-0 winner.

With the winner of the competition set to qualify for the 2025 u17 Africa Cup of Nations, there is plenty at stake.

Selywn Stevens opened the account for South Africa with a penalty after a foul in the box on Emile Witbooi. It didn’t take long for Witbooi, who showcased exceptional skill throughout the match, to find the back of the net himself.

South Africa’s dominance continued in the second half, with Kamohelo Maraletse and Neo Bohloko doubling the home side’s score.

After their emphatic victory, South Africa is top of Group C in the boys’ competition. They’ll aim to maintain that status when they face Comoros on Saturday

In a boost to the morale of the South African team, they were the sole winners on Thursday as the island nations of Comoros and Mauritius played to a 0-0 draw.

DAY TWO BOYS’ RESULTS 

TotalEnergies u17 Africa Cup of Nations 2025 | Cosafa qualifier

Group B

Zimbabwe 5-1 Eswatini
Zambia 8-0 Namibia

Group C

South Africa 4-0 Botswana
Comoros 0-0 Mauritius

Group Standings

DAY TWO GIRLS’ COSAFA CHAMPIONSHIP RESULTS

Group B

South Africa 4-2 Malawi
Madagascar 5-0 Namibia

Group C

Zimbabwe 2-1 Mauritius

Group Standings

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Siya Pongco

A passionate reader and dedicated writer, Siya possesses three degrees from Rhodes University including a Postgraduate Diploma at Rhodes University. He also played amateur cricket and soccer, both during his university years. While honing his journalism skills at Grocott’s Mail in Makhanda, he developed a profound interest in the community’s response to crime. Additionally, he covered topics such as art/culture and student politics at Rhodes University in 2022. In his spare time, Siya can be found exploring galleries, dining at restaurants, indulging in literature, taking photographs or savouring his favourite dish, spaghetti.

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