The 2020 COSAFA U-20 Cup was the 27th edition of the COSAFA U-20 Challenge Cup, an international youth football tournament open to national associations of the COSAFA region. It took place between 3 December and 13 December in Nelson Mandela Bay, South Africa.[1] Initially planned to be hosted by Mauritius, the competition was later shifted to South Africa after Mauritius withdrew as hosts due to the COVID-19 regulations. The matches were played at Port Elizabeth (Wolfson Stadium and Gelvandale Stadium).

2020 COSAFA Under-20 Cup
Tournament details
Host countryNelson Mandela Bay, South Africa
Dates3–13 December 2020
Teams11 (from 1 sub-confederation)
Venue(s)3 (in 1 host city)
Final positions
Champions Mozambique (1st title)
Runners-up Namibia
Third place Angola
Fourth place Zambia
Tournament statistics
Matches played19
Goals scored40 (2.11 per match)
Top scorer(s)
  • Sinenjongo Mkiva (South Africa)
  • Ambrosini Salvador (Angola)
2019
2022

The tournament was also the first qualifying round for the U-20 World Cup in Indonesia in 2021 as the finalists were qualified for the 2021 Africa U-20 Cup of Nations, played in Mauritania where the semi-finalists will see themselves qualify for the World Cup.[2][3]

Participants

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[4]

Match officials

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Draw

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The draw was made in Nelson Mandela Bay on 2 November. Last year's top nations were seeded into one group each and the rest of the teams were placed in 2 pots depending on last year's performance. From the first pot, teams were drawn and slotted consecutively into groups A, B, and C. The last team from pot 1 was then placed among the pot 2 teams to make them 5. Now the teams from the second pot were drawn and slotted consecutively into groups A, B, and C resulting that group C ended up with one less team.[5]

Seeded Pot 1 Pot 2

Note: Within brackets 2019 year's performance.

Group stage

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The group stage will be played in 3 groups as a round-robin, where the group winners and the best runner up will advance to the semi-finals.[6][7]

Group A

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Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1   Mozambique 3 2 1 0 3 0 +3 7 Advance to Semi-finals
2   South Africa (H) 3 1 2 0 9 2 +7 5
3   Zimbabwe 3 1 1 1 6 5 +1 4
4   Lesotho 3 0 0 3 1 12 −11 0
Source: COSAFA.com
(H) Hosts
Mozambique  1–0  Lesotho
Cipriano   9' Report
South Africa  2–2  Zimbabwe
  • Appollis   46'
  • Makola   90'
Report
  • Mutimbanyoka   9'
  • Mujokoro   75'
Referee: (Ms) Letticia Viana (Eswatini)

Mozambique  2–0  Zimbabwe
  • Cipriano   57' (pen.)
  • Pinho   85'
Referee: Ishmael Chizinga (Malawi)
South Africa  7–0  Lesotho
  • Mohale   6' (o.g.)
  • Human   17'
  • Mvika   43'   62'   86'
  • Appollis   46'
  • Myeni  90+2'
Referee: Keabetswe Dintwa (Botswana)

South Africa  0–0  Mozambique
Report
Referee: Lebalang Martin Mokete (Lesotho)
Zimbabwe  4–1  Lesotho
Report
Referee: Keabetswe Dintwa (Botswana)

Group B

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Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1   Zambia 3 3 0 0 5 0 +5 9 Advance to Semi-finals
2   Namibia 3 2 0 1 3 2 +1 6
3   Malawi 3 1 0 2 2 4 −2 3
4   Comoros 3 0 0 3 0 4 −4 0
Source: COSAFA.com
Malawi  1–0  Comoros
  • Monogeni   90+4'
Referee: Mathews Hamalila (Zambia)
Zambia  1–0  Namibia
  • Mashata   62'
Referee: Lebalang Martin Mokete (Lesotho)

Zambia  2–0  Comoros
  • Chishimba   3'
  • Bulaya   45+4'
Malawi  1–2  Namibia
  • Nkhoma   10'
  • Jantze   14'
  • Canavaro   45+3'
Referee: (Ms) Letticia Viana (Eswatini)

Zambia  2–0  Malawi
  • Mukeya   21', 68'
Report
Namibia  1–0  Comoros
  • Damaseb   77'
Report
Referee: (Ms) Letticia Viana (Eswatini)

Group C

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Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1   Angola 2 1 0 1 4 1 +3 3 Advance to Semi-finals
2   Eswatini 2 1 0 1 1 1 0 3
3   Botswana 2 1 0 1 1 4 −3 3
Source: COSAFA.com
Angola  0–1  Eswatini
  • Ndlovu   77'

Botswana  0–4  Angola
  • Salvador   43' (pen.)   90+2'
  • Gastão   66'   90+4'

Botswana  1–0  Eswatini
  • Molefe   42'
Report
Referee: Mathews M. Hamalila (Zambia)

Knockout stage

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Semi-finalsFinal
 
      
 
11 December – Wolfson Stadium
 
 
  Angola0
 
13 December – Wolfson Stadium
 
  Namibia1
 
  Namibia0
 
11 December – Wolfson Stadium
 
  Mozambique1
 
  Mozambique0 (5)
 
 
  Zambia0 (4)
 
Third place
 
 
13 December – Wolfson Stadium
 
 
  Angola2
 
 
  Zambia1

Semi-finals

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Winners qualified for 2021 Africa U-20 Cup of Nations.

Angola  0–1  Namibia
Report
  • Damaseb   63'
Mozambique  0–0 (5-4)  Zambia
Report
Referee: Keabetswe Dintwa (Botswana)

Third-place match

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Angola  2–1  Zambia
  • Afonso   21'
  • Salvador   37'
  • Mumba   57' (pen.)
Referee: (Ms) Letticia Viana (Eswatini)

Final

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Namibia  0–1  Mozambique
Report
  • Augusto   31'

Champions

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 2020 COSAFA U-20 Championship champion 
 
Mozambique
First title

Qualification for CAF U20 Cup of Nations

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The two finalists of the tournament qualified for the 2021 Africa U-20 Cup of Nations.

Qualified nations:

References

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  1. ^ "Southern Africa: South Africa Begin Preps for Cosafa Men's Under-20 Championship". allAfrica. Retrieved 15 November 2020.
  2. ^ "COSAFA Men's Under-20 Champs starts journey to World Cup". Council of Southern Africa Football Associations. Retrieved 15 November 2020.
  3. ^ "Draw looms for COSAFA Men's Under-17 and Under-20 zonal qualifiers". Council of Southern Africa Football Associations. Retrieved 15 November 2020.
  4. ^ "The 2020 COSAFA Men's Under-20 Championships in Numbers". Council of Southern Africa Football Associations. Retrieved 15 November 2020.
  5. ^ "Men's U17 and U20 teams to learn their COSAFA Championships fate on Monday". Council of Southern Africa Football Associations. Retrieved 15 November 2020.
  6. ^ "COSAFA Men's U17 and U20 fixtures provide eye-catching entertainment". Council of Southern Africa Football Associations. Retrieved 15 November 2020.
  7. ^ "Cosafa U20, U17 Draws Unveiled". Zambia Reports. Archived from the original on 18 November 2020. Retrieved 15 November 2020.