Losika Ratshukudu scored the only goal as Botswana edged Namibia 1-0 to secure a place in the semifinals of the TotalEnergies U17 AFCON Algeria 2023 | COSAFA Qualifier that is being played as part of the Region 5 Games Lilongwe 2022.
Botswana claimed the three points in a game that was delayed for almost two hours on Tuesday when torrential rain left the pitch waterlogged at the intended kick-off time.
The victory was enough for second place in the Group A, but the pool has been won by hosts Malawi. The top two in each group advance to the semifinals, while the two finalists in this year’s competition win a place at the TotalEnergies U17 AFCON Algeria 2023 in April.
Botswana always looked the most likely to win and might have been ahead when Katlego Makgwa struck the post having burst into the box.
But it took until the 72nd minute for them to score as Ratshukudu latched onto a loose ball in the box and side-footed into the net from 15 yards.
Group B will be completed on Wednesday, though we already know that South Africa and Zambia have qualified from the pool. The question is who will take top spot.
Those two will face-off at 21h30 CAT, where a draw will be enough to see South Africa to the number one position and a semifinal clash against Botswana on Friday. But a win for Zambia would turn the tables and they will be quietly confident of pulling it off.
Before that there is a dead rubber between Seychelles and Mozambique at 19h00, with those two playing to avoid the wooden spoon.
The first semifinal in the COSAFA Girls’ Under-17 Championship will be played early on Wednesday morning when defending champions Zambia take on hosts Malawi at 08h30 CAT.
Zambia are still in the hunt for back-to-back titles and come up against a Malawi side making their debut in the competition.
The second semifinal will be played on Thursday between South Africa and Botswana.
All matches will be streamed live on COSAFA.TV and FIFA+, and you can get a full rundown of the Girls’ fixtures right here, and the Boys’ matches here.
We will also be providing coverage across our multitude of social media platforms – Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube – where we will provide news and behind-the-scenes features from Lilongwe.
TUESDAY’S RESULTS
TOTALENERGIES U17 AFCON ALGERIA 2023 | COSAFA QUALIFIER
Group A
Namibia 0 Botswana 1 (Losika Ratshukudu 72’)
WEDNESDAY’S FIXTURES
TOTALENERGIES U17 AFCON ALGERIA 2023 | COSAFA QUALIFIER
Group B
19h00 CAT (17h00 GMT): Seychelles vs Mozambique – Bingu National Stadium
21h30 CAT (19h30 GMT): South Africa vs Zambia – Bingu National Stadium
COSAFA GIRLS’ UNDER-17 CHAMPIONSHIP
Semifinal
08h30 CAT (06h30 GMT): Zambia vs Malawi – Bingu National Stadium
TOTALENERGIES U17 AFCON ALGERIA 2023 | COSAFA QUALIFIER STATISTICS
Matches Played: 6
Goals scored: 28
Biggest victory: Seychelles 0 South Africa 11 (Group B, December 3)
Most goals in a game: 11 – Seychelles 0 South Africa 11 (Group B, December 3)
STANDINGS
| GROUP A | P | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | PTS |
| Malawi (Q) | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 4 |
| Botswana (Q) | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 4 |
| Namibia | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 | -2 | 0 |
| GROUP B | P | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | PTS |
| South Africa (Q) | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 0 | 12 | 6 |
| Zambia (Q) | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Mozambique | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | -2 | 0 |
| Seychelles | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 18 | -17 | 0 |
GOALSCORERS
6 goals – Siyabonga Mabena (South Africa)
5 – Emmanuel Mwanza (Zambia)
3 – Benjamin Wallis (South Africa)
2 – Losika Ratshukudu (Botswana)
1 – Vincent Harrison (Malawi), Lorenzo Hoareau (Seychelles), Blessings Kanowa (Malawi), Lutetekelo Kapowa (Zambia), Dhakier Lee (South Africa), Xhosa Manyana (South Africa), Mwisho Mhango (Malawi), Bennet Mokoena (South Africa), Webster Mzunda (Malawi), Dorian Nanuseb (Namibia), Kelvin Phiri (Zambia), Marcel Zimba (Zambia)
Own Goal – Julius Banda (Malawi)
COSAFA GIRLS’ UNDER-17 CHAMPIONSHIP STATISTICS
Matches Played: 6
Goals scored: 52
Biggest victory: Namibia 0 South Africa 12 (Group A, December 3); Malawi 12 Namibia 0 (Group A, December 5)
Most goals in a game: 12 – Namibia 0 South Africa 12 (Group A, December 3); Malawi 12 Namibia 0 (Group A, December 5)
STANDINGS
| GROUP A | P | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | PTS |
| South Africa (Q) | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 1 | 15 | 6 |
| Malawi (Q) | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 13 | 4 | 9 | 3 |
| Namibia | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 24 | -24 | 0 |
| GROUP B | P | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | PTS |
| Zambia (Q) | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 0 | 15 | 6 |
| Botswana (Q) | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 5 | 3 | 3 |
| Comoros | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 18 | -18 | 0 |
GOALSCORERS
5 goals – Rose Kadzere (Malawi)
4 – Andrielle Mibe (South Africa)
3 – Faith Chinzimu (Malawi), Lotang Ebineng (Botswana), Nobahle Mdelwa (South Africa), Harriet Matipa (Zambia), Lubasi Pumulo (Zambia)
2 – Bwalya Chileshe (Zambia), Leticia Chinyamula (Malawi), Katlo Ditsile (Botswana), Olwethu Sosibo (South Africa), Jessy Zulu (Zambia), Zangose Zulu (Zambia)
1 – Anna Baziliyo (Malawi), Tatiana Correia (South Africa), Lebogang Dilelo (Botswana), Julia Goncalves (South Africa), Mbapeua Hangara (Botswana), Suwiranji Lukondo (Zambia), Tricia Mabamba (Zambia), Mary Mbalangwe (Malawi), Chikondi Mgodi (Malawi), Khutso Mogano (South Africa), Palesa Mokopakgosi (Botswana), Gositang Motshegwe (South Africa), Esther Musialela (Zambia), Naledi Nkosi (South Africa), Sinazo Ntshota (South Africa), Ntando Phahla (South Africa)
Le Botswana qualifié pour la demi-finale
Une seule rencontre était au programme de la journée de mardi. Elle s’inscrivait dans la TotalEnergies U17 AFCON Algeria 2023 | COSAFA Qualifier et a vu le Botswana l’emporter devant la Namibie sur le plus petit des scores (1-0). C’est Losika Ratshukudu qui a marqué le seul but de la rencontre à la 72e minute. Un but qui permet au Botswanais de valider leur billet pour la demi-finale.
Ultime journée pour les pensionnaires du groupe B au tableau masculin. Les Seychelles affronteront le Mozambique à 19h. Cette rencontre compte pour du beurre car les deux équipes sont déjà éliminées de la compétition après avoir enchainé deux revers de rang. Ils joueront pour l’honneur et surtout pour éviter de rentrer bredouille.
L’Afrique du Sud et la Zambie sont déjà qualifié pour le dernier carré. Néanmoins, il s’agira pour les deux équipes d’aller chercher la première place du groupe B. Ce sont les Amajitas qui occupent ce rang pour l’heure. Les Sud-Africain possèdent une meilleure attaque après avoir inscrit 12 buts. Ils n’en ont concédé aucun alors que la Zambie a marqué huit buts en deux sorties et en ont pris un. Malgré tout, la joute promet d’être équilibrée.
La première demi-finale au tableau féminin mettra aux prises la Zambie au Malawi. C’est un vrai choc des styles même i la Zambie tient la corde dans ce duel. Mais devant son public, l’on voit mal le Malawi céder si facilement. Ce dernier a inscrit 13 buts jusqu’ici et pourra notamment compter sur Rose Kabzere, auteure de cinq buts jusqu’à présent. Elle est d’ailleurs la meilleure buteuse de la compétition actuellement.
De son côté, la Zambie est une équipe qui peut créer le danger à n’importe quel moment. Son attaque fonctionne à plein régime et elle a trouvé le chemin des filets à 12 reprises. Si son secteur offensif fait peur, c’est surtout derrière que les Zambiennes montrent de la qualité. En deux sorties, la gardienne de la Zambie n’a eu rien à faire puisqu’elle n’a concédé aucun but.
A noter que toutes les rencontres sont à suivre en streaming sur COSAFA.TV et sur FIFA+. Retrouvez également les faits de matchs, les photos du jour, les vidéos insolites ainsi que les résultats sur toutes nos plateformes numériques, à savoir Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok et YouTube.
Conhecidos os semifinalistas do COSAFA de sub-17
As Selecções da África do Sul e do Botswana, disputam nesta sexta-feira, 13.30 horas, a primeira meia-final da Taça COSAFA de sub-17 masculino, enquanto que o Malawi e Zâmbia jogam, às 21.30 horas, a segunda meia-final, qualificativa para o TotalEnergies Campeonato Africano das Nações (CAN) Argélia-2023.
Por seu turno, a turma do Botswana venceu hoje, a sua congénere da Namíbia por 1-0, mercê do golo solitário de Losika Ratshukudu (72´). O Botswana terminou a fase de grupos como a segunda melhor classificada do Grupo A , com os mesmos pontos que Malawi (4), selou no domingo apuramento para a fase seguinte, após somar quatro pontos, frutos de um empate e uma vitória.
Entretanto, a selecção de Moçambique joga, amanhã, às 19:00 horas, no Bingu National Stadium, diante da sua congénere das Seychelles, em jogo pontuável para terceira e última jornada do Torneio COSAFA que decorre em Lilongwe, Malawi, até 11 deste mês, sendo que a África do Sul e a Zâmbia jogam entre si quando forem 21.30 horas, no mesmo local.
Moçambique joga apenas para o cumprimento do calendário uma vez que está fora da corrida ao Campeonato Africano da categoria, cuja fase final terá lugar na Argélia, no próximo ano, após consentir duas derrotas no Torneio COSAFA, que é qualificativo para o “Africano”.
Este Grupo (A) ficou reduzido a três equipas em virtude de a seleção angolana ter sido afastada da corrida ao CAN devido à adulteração de idades de um dos seus jogadores.
O jogador em causa não escapou nos testes de ressonância magnética para o despiste de falsificação de idade, tendo deste modo violado o regulamento da competição. Este regulamento determina, que, em caso de incumprimento, a equipa infractora deve ser retirada com efeitos imediatos da competição.
Frisar que a África do Sul lidera a lista das nações com mais títulos (3), seguindo a Zâmbia e Angola com dois cada. Com apenas um troféu na sua vitrina de conquistas, estão as selecções do Malawi (2001), Namíbia (2016) e Zimbabwe (2007).
Segundo acordo com o Regulamento da prova, as equipas estão divididas em dois grupos (A e B), sendo que o primeiro classificado do Grupo A disputará as meias-finais com o segundo melhor classificado do Grupo B, sendo que o vencedor do Grupo B cruzará com o segundo melhor classificado do Grupo A.
