By MICHAEL MIYOBA
MINISTER of Sports Youth and Child Development, Emmanuel Mulenga has hailed the Zambia Under-17 national soccer team for qualifying for the 2021 Under-17 Africa Cup of Nations after humiliating Malawi in a COSAFA Cup fixture.
Zambia bashed Malawi 6-2 at the ongoing Cosafa championship in South Africa to qualify for the youth Afcon slated for Morocco.
The Junior Chipolopolo who are the Cosafa Cup defending champions having won the 8th edition of the tournament last year in Blantyre, Malawi with an unbeaten record, beat Angola 2-1 before trouncing Malawi to qualify for the Afcon and reach the finals of the regional youth championship in South Africa.
Mulenga congratulated the boys for making history by qualifying Zambia to its first Under-17 continental championship.
He however cautioned the team to remain focused as they seek to defend the Cosafa title.
“Allow me to congratulate the boys and the entire technical team for their remarkable performance in South Africa so far and making it to the Under-17 Cup of Nations. Their performance will be a footnote in the diaries of many Zambians,” Mulenga said.
“I further encourage the boys to work harder in the final as they seek to win the tournament a record three times.”
Meanwhile, Zambia plays South Africa today in a dead rubber match having already qualified for the youth Afcon and the Cosafa Cup finals slated for Sunday.
However, the match is a must-win game for South Africa who are still fighting to qualify ahead of Malawi and Angola.
Only two teams from the Cosafa will qualify for the Afcon in Morocco.
Mulenga salutes heroic U-17 squad
