Zambia also hold the record for the most title wins at COSAFA Men’s U20 at 12 titles

* Senior Chipolopolo team hold the record of seven-time winners ahead of the COSAFA Cup 2025 currently underway in South Africa

* Only four other nations have won the COSAFA U-20 Championships – South Africa (9), Zimbabwe (6), Madagascar (1) and Mozambique (1)

* The COSAFA Men’s U-20 Championship will be staged as part of the AUSC Region 5 Games in Windhoek, Namibia from July 4-13

By Duncan Mlanjira

While the senior Zambia national team hold the record as seven-time winners of the men’s COSAFA Cup, their junior U-20 side, also hold the record for the most title wins at the regional level at 12 titles.

Only four other nations have won the COSAFA U-20 Championships – South Africa (9), Zimbabwe (6), Madagascar (1) and Mozambique (1) ahead of the next tournament scheduled for Windhoek, Namibia from July 4-13 — to be staged as part of the Africa Union Sports Council (AUSC) Region 5 Games.

As for the senior team, they have stumbled in their COSAFA Cup 2025 campaign — currently underway in South Africa — when they lost 0-1 to Comoros at the Toyota Stadium in Mangaung, Bloemfontein last evening.

Meanwhile — according to statistics by COSAFA Media, the Zambia U-20 also hold the record for the most title wins in a row (four) in the championships that were played between 1993 and 1999.

They have won five of the last 10 U-20 Championships played, with South Africa breaking their run in 2013, 2017, 2018 and 2024, and Mozambique in 2020.

South Africa became the third side from the COSAFA region to be crowned CAF Africa Cup of Nations (AfCON) U-20 champions when they lifted the continental title in Egypt in May 2025, after Angola (2001) and Zambia (2017).

Teams scheduled for the scheduled to compete in the AUSC Region 5 Games in this year’s Championships to be organised by the Council for Southern Africa Football Associations (COSAFA), are hosts Namibia, Angola, Botswana, eSwatini, Malawi, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Malawi men’s U20 have drawn Angola, the hosts Namibia alongside Zimbabwe — an interesting twist as the Malawi Flames participating at the COSAFA Cup 2025 are in Group B together with Namibia and defending champions Angola, alongside Lesotho while.

The Malawi U-20 women’s side are also with Namibia in Group A alongside Botswana and Zimbabwe while the COSAFA Women’s champions, Zambia are the top seed in Group B and will play South Africa, eSwatini and Angola.

The men’s U20 Group B contains reigning COSAFA champions South Africa, their old foes Zambia alongside eSwatini and Botswana. The top two teams in each of the pools advance to the semifinals.

According to COSAFA Media, there is no qualification this year for men’s CAF continental competitions after South Africa won the CAF U20 AfCON title in Egypt last month in the tournament that is played every two years.

Having reached the semifinals of the AfCON U-20 2025, the Amajita qualified for the upcoming FIFA U-20 World Cup Chile 2025 alongside Nigeria, Egypt and Morocco.

South Africa — the only representatives of the COSAFA at the FIFA U-20 World Cup Chile 2025 — have been drawn alongside USA, New Caledonia and European powerhouse France while Nigeria — Africa’s most experienced nation at this level with 14 appearances alongside north African duo were drawn in Group F alongside Colombia, Norway and Saudi Arabia.

Egypt will be in Group A along with hosts Chile, Japan and New Zealand while Morocco are with three-time champions Brazil, Mexico, and Spain in Group C.—Content by COSAFA Media; edited by Duncan Mlanjira, Maravi Express