Under-20 football at Region 5 Games set for kick-off on Friday

The Under-20 football competitions at the Region 5 Games in Windhoek, Namibia from July 4-13 give us a glimpse into the future talent in the region as young stars not only battle it out for the gold medal, but also to show their talents on the international stage.

There will be eight teams in the men’s and women’s categories, each with an eye on a place on the podium in the competition’s that will also deliver the Under-20 titles in the COSAFA region for 2025.

Getting off to a positive start will be key, with just the top two teams in each pool advancing to the semi-finals, meaning there is little room for error.

The men’s competition will kick-off with a Group A clash between Malawi and Zimbabwe on Friday (11h00 CAT / 09h00 GMT), followed by a clash in the same pool later between hosts Namibia and Angola (14h00 CAT / 12h00 GMT).

Group B gets under way on Saturday when Eswatini clash with Botswana (12h00 CAT / 10h00 GMT), and South Africa take on Zambia (15h00 CAT / 13h00 GMT).

All of those matches will be at the at the Hage Geingob Stadium.

The women’s competition kicks off with a Group A clash between Botswana and Zimbabwe at 11h00 CAT (09h00 GMT) on Friday, before hosts Namibia take on Malawi at 14h00 CAT (12h00 GMT).

The Group B action will get under way at 12h00 CAT (10h00 GMT) on Saturday when Eswatini face Angola. There will then be a titanic clash between old foes Zambia and South Africa at 15h00 CAT (13h00 GMT).

All games will be streamed LIVE on COSAFA’s YouTube channel. Matches will also be streamed LIVE around the world on FIFA+, except in the countries of the competing teams.

As per the rights agreement with Region 5 Games organisers, matches will be available to view in full in those countries 30 minutes after the final whistle.

The COSAFA Under-20 Women’s Championship made a return to the calendar last year for the first time since 2019 and was won by Zambia. The previous edition was claimed by East African guest nation Tanzania.

Zambia are record 12-time winners of the regional finals in the Men’s competition, with defending champions South Africa claiming nine victories. Zimbabwe have been champions six times, and Madagascar and Mozambique once each.

The early years were dominated by the ‘Two Zs’, with Zambia winning six and Zimbabwe three of the first nine tournaments held.

South Africa were the first team to break the mould when they triumphed in 2000, having been losing finalists in 1995 and 1999.

A year earlier, in 1999, they had taken over the hosting of the event, which before then had been spread around the region. Each tournament up until 2009 was held in the Rainbow Nation, but the winners were less easy to predict.

Madagascar became only the fourth country to win the event when they surprisingly triumphed in 2005, beating shock finalists Lesotho 1-0 in the final.

Before Lesotho three years ago, the previous two installments, in 2010 and 2011, were hosted by Botswana, with Zambia extending their winning streak to three with success in both.

They added an 11th title in 2016 when they romped through the competition, defeating hosts South Africa 2-1 in the final, before bringing up a dozen in 2022 as they defeated Mozambique.

But more than lifting the trophy, the COSAFA tournament is about developing the talent of tomorrow and giving young players the chance to compete with their peers in a highly competitive environment that should help to prepare them for the challenges of senior international football.