South Africa made history by winning the boys’ and girls’ titles for the second consecutive year at the Cosafa zone phase of the African Schools Football Championship, which was held in Zimbabwe in 2023. Both South African teams shone during the three days of competition in Harare, thus qualifying for the continental finals next year. The boys’ final was a stunning spectacle, ending with South Africa beating Malawi 3-0 on penalties. Despite a 1-1 draw at the end of normal time, the South African team, mainly made up of players from the Ubuntu Football Academy school in Cape Town, showed their resilience and secured victory. In the boys’ bronze medal competition, hosts Zimbabwe triumphed 1-0 over Namibia, securing third place.
On the girls’ side, the South African team, mainly made up of players from Edendale Technical High School, won gold in a tense final against Botswana, winning 3-1. Mozambique won the girls’ bronze medal by dominating Namibia 4-0. Unfortunately, the two Malagasy flag bearers did not manage to conclude their first participation in this competition in a victorious manner. The boys finished third in their group behind South Africa and Namibia, while the girls finished in last place.
Heriniaina Samson