COSAFA expands Women’s Under-20 championship to five teams

By BARNABAS ZULU

THE COSAFA Women’s Under-20 Championship will feature five teams this year, following Zambia’s inclusion in the regional tournament for the first time since 2019.
The competition, which will be held in Johannesburg from November 19-24, sees Zambia join hosts South Africa, Lesotho, Mozambique, and Botswana in the race for the title.
The tournament has been slightly adjusted to accommodate the extra team, with an additional day added to the schedule. Teams will play each other in a round-robin format, with each nation competing in four matches.
The team with the most points at the end of the fixtures will be crowned champions. Points are awarded as follows: three for a win, one for a draw, and none for a loss.
An informal draw will determine the match fixtures, with two games scheduled per day. November 21 will be a rest day for the teams midway through the competition.
This year’s expanded competition marks the return of the tournament after a four-year hiatus, with the 2019 edition being won by Tanzania, who beat Zambia 2-1 in the final.
The COSAFA Women’s Under-20 Championship is one of five women’s football tournaments to be hosted by COSAFA in 2024. Earlier this year, COSAFA hosted the Hollywoodbets COSAFA Women’s Championship, the CAF Women’s Champions League | COSAFA qualifier, and the Girls African Schools Football Championship Under-15 tournament.
In December, the COSAFA Women’s Under-17 Championship will take place in Maputo, Mozambique.