Zimbabwe make a return to COSAFA Under-20 women’s football

Zimbabwe will be back in action at the COSAFA women’s Under-20 football competition at the Region 5 Games in Windhoek, Namibia from July 4-13, having missed the regional championship in 2024.

The Zimbabweans will face hosts Namibia, Botswana and Malawi in Group A at this year’s competition, having last competed on the regional stage in this age-group in 2019.

On that occasion they were pipped to the bronze medal following a penalty shoot-out loss to South Africa in the bronze-medal match.

They had advanced through their pool in second place after wins over Botswana and Eswatini but lost their semifinal with Zambia (0-1) and played to a 1-1 draw in the match for third with the South Africans.

They will hope to improve on that this year having been among the leading women’s sides in the region over the past few decades.

They were winners of the senior COSAFA Women’s Championship in 2011, the first side to loosen South Africa’s drip on the trophy.

They unfortunately exited the qualifiers for the 2026 FIFA Under-20 Women’s World Cup at the hands of Rwanda in May, losing 2-1 on aggregate in a tight tie.

They got as far as the quarterfinals of the qualifiers in 2002, but did not fulfil their tie with Central African Republic and went no further.

The Class of 2025 will be keen to show their potential on the continental stage, and that the future of Zimbabwe women’s football is bright. They will certainly be a team to watch.