South Africa, Angola win at TotalEnergies CAF Under-20 Africa Cup of Nations | COSAFA Qualifier

Defending champions South Africa and Angola made emphatic starts to their campaigns at the TotalEnergies CAF Under-20 Africa Cup of Nations | COSAFA Qualifier Mozambique 2026 on Saturday with comfortable victories in Maputo.

South Africa defeated Lesotho 3-0 in the opening Group B fixture of the day as Steven Mendes scored twice and Tebogo Mlangeni added a third.

Angola then went one better with a 4-0 success over Eswatini as Domingos Muxito, António Kulica, Jairo Muanha and Luís Panda all found the back of the net.

Comoros and Botswana played to a goalless draw in the final game of the day.

The 12-team competition runs until September 27, with the three pool winners and the best runner-up advancing to the semi-finals. The two finalists will qualify for the TotalEnergies CAF Under-20 Africa Cup of Nations Ghana 2027.

South Africa began their bid for a third successive regional title in confident fashion as they collected all three points against Lesotho.

Mendes was the star of the contest with two goals for Amajita, while Mlangeni was also on target as the defending champions underlined their credentials with a comprehensive victory.

South Africa won the regional competition in Mozambique in 2024 before successfully defending their crown at the Region 5 Games in Namibia last year, when they defeated Malawi 3-0 in the final.

Angola also laid down an early marker as they produced the biggest victory of the tournament so far with their four-goal success against Eswatini.

Muxito, Kulica, Muanha and Panda shared the goals as Angola made an impressive start to their campaign and moved to the top of Group B on goal difference ahead of South Africa.

Angola have been among the most consistent sides in the regional Under-20 competition in recent years, reaching the semi-finals in nine of the previous 10 editions, but are still seeking a first title.The focus switches back to Group A on Sunday, with Seychelles and Mauritius both looking for their first points of the competition when they meet at ABB Stadium 2 at 12h00 CAT (10h00 GMT).

Both suffered opening-day defeats on Friday, with Seychelles going down 4-1 to hosts Mozambique and Mauritius edged 1-0 by Namibia.

The second game of the day promises to be a fascinating contest as Mozambique and Namibia, who both have three points, meet at 15h00 CAT (13h00 GMT).

Mozambique lead Group A on goal difference following their opening victory over Seychelles, while Namibia made a winning start when captain Lukas Sakeus scored the only goal against Mauritius.

Victory for either side would put them in a commanding position in the race for a place in the semi-finals with one pool match remaining.

SATURDAY’S RESULTS
Group B
South Africa 3 (Mendes 45+1, 60’, Mlangeni 65’) Lesotho 0

Angola 4 (Muxito 21’, Kulica 35’, Muanha 45’, Panda 50’) Eswatini 0

Group C
Comoros 0 Botswana 0

SUNDAY’S FIXTURES
Group A – ABB Stadium 2
Seychelles vs Mauritius (KO 12h00; 10h00 GMT)

Mozambique vs Namibia (KO 15h00; 13h00 GMT)

GROUP STANDINGS

TOURNAMENT STATS
Matches played: 6
Goals scored: 15
Goals-per-game: 2.50
Biggest victory: Angola 4 Eswatini 0 (Group B, September 19)
Most goals in a game: 5 – Mozambique 4 Seychelles 1 (Group A, September 18)

GOALSCORERS
2 goals – Alírio Cuna (Mozambique), Billy Daka (Zambia), Steven Mendes (South Africa)
1 – Faizal Abdala (Mozambique), António Kulica (Angola), Fanuel Macuácua (Mozambique), Eriano Rajabary (Seychelles), Lukas Sakeus (Namibia), Tebogo Mlangeni (South Africa), Jairo Muanha (Angola), Domingos Muxito (Angola), Luís Panda (Angola)