Young Warriors Edge Mozambique 1-0 To Reach COSAFA Semi-Finals
The Young Warriors improved their chances of qualifying for the TotalEnergies CAF Under-20 Africa Cup of Nations by reaching the semi-finals of the COSAFA qualifying tournament with a 1-0 victory over hosts Mozambique on Monday, 30 September.
Enock Moyo scored the only goal of the match at the ABB Stadium in Matola shortly after halftime, securing the team’s position as Group A leaders.
Only the top team from each of the three groups, along with the best runners-up, advance to the semi-finals.
Having missed the regional tournament for three years, the Young Warriors are now one win away from qualifying for next year’s CAF Under-20 AFCON.
Two qualifying spots are available at the COSAFA finals, with the finalists representing the region in the continental tournament, which will serve as the African qualifier for the 2025 FIFA Under-20 World Cup in Chile.
In an interview with Zimpapers Sports Hub yesterday, Young Warriors coach Simon Marange said:
The overall performance was very good. I think this game tested a lot of our character and personality and the boys were able to come to the party.
They were able to dig deeper and find a winner against a well-improved and strong Mozambican side.
The next step is the semi-finals now. From the start, our big goal was to try and push to get to the AFCON finals.
So, at least we have given ourselves a chance to dream about it and to give it a go.
The Young Warriors put in a dominant performance in the first half against Mozambique Under-20, shutting down any attempts on goal and allowing goalkeeper Joseph Kaunda to keep a clean sheet.
Although they created some promising opportunities, including near misses from Tanaka Cherera and Taffy Musamba, they couldn’t find the net until the second half.
Bikita Minerals midfielder Enock Moyo scored in the 46th minute, netting his second goal of the tournament and earning the Man of the Match award.
He came close to scoring again later in the match, while Nisbet Muzenda rattled the woodwork.
With this victory, the Young Warriors secured their semi-final spot, finishing with seven points from three group matches, alongside Angola, who had already advanced from Group B.
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