Zambia completes the double at u17 Cosafa tournaments

Zambia completed the double at the u17 Cosafa tournaments, winning both the girls’ and boys’ competitions in Johannesburg on Friday.

The u17 Zambian girls’ team ran riot against Lesotho, thrashing their opponents 15-0 in the final at the University of Johannesburg (UJ) Soweto Campus.

It was a nightmare Friday the 13th for Lesotho as the Copper Princesses raked in the goals, not letting up until the final whistle sounded.

With the victory and the title, Zambia proved why they are currently the leading nation in development football in the SADC region.

Mercy Chipasula scored a jaw-dropping seven goals in the title decider, while Masela Sekeseke weighed in with a hat-trick. Hellen Banda grabbed a double, and Wendy Mwikisa, Janet Chirwa, and Lilian Mwenda all scored a goal as Zambia lifted the winner’s trophy with a superlative effort.

The Zambian boys’ team followed in the footsteps of their female counterparts, capturing the TotalEnergies u17 CAF African Cup of Nations | Cosafa qualifier with a hard-fought 2-1 defeat of Angola.

In an entertaining and competitive clash, the Angolans battled tooth and nail to pull off an upset. However, Abel Nyirongo gave the Zambians the lead after they had dominated the first half. But, with two minutes to go to the break, Omar Oliveira’s freekick deflected off a defender and went into the back of the net to pull the Angolans level.

The Zambian domination continued in the second half, and it appeared to have paid dividends in the 70th minute when Emmanuel Mbuti was brought down inside the box by Josemar Vicente. Abel Nyirongo stepped up to take the shot, but his effort was rejected by Gelson Dala.

Zambia’s control of the contest was eventually rewarded, though, when Jimmy Banda played Nyirongo in for his second goal to complete the Cosafa double for his country.

Awards: TotalEnergies u17 CAF African Cup of Nations | Cosafa qualifier

Player of the Tournament: Mapalo Simute (Zambia)
Golden Boot: Abel Nyirongo (Zambia)
Golden Glove: Geslon Dala (Angola)
Fair Play Prize: Angola

u17 Girls’ Cosafa Tournament

Player of the Tournament: Mercy Chipasula (Zambia)
Golden Boot: Mercy Chipasula (Zambia)
Golden Glove: Loveness Chingwele (Zambia)
Fair Play Prize: Lesotho

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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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