South Africa will play Malawi in the final of the Boys’ competition at the CAF African Schools Football Championship / Cosafa Qualifiers, Zimbabwe 2023, while their compatriots in the Girls’ tournament will meet Botswana.
Malawi topped Group A after winning all four of their matches, pipping Zimbabwe to a place in the final. Hosts Zimbabwe will meet Namibia for the bronze-medal match. South Africa edged Namibia with 10 points in their pool, their only blemish a 0-0 draw with Madagascar in their final game. But that point was enough to secure top spot.
They were also the top scorers on the pool phase among the Boys’ teams with 12 goals.
South Africa won all four of their games in the Girls’ competition, scoring a whopping 28 goals in the process. That will make them the favourites for the decider against a Namibia team who took seven points from a possible 12 in their four group games. Malawi did not concede a single goal in their pool stage matches, but two 0-0 draws cost them a place in the decider.
It was a complicated equation with three teams finishing on eight points in the final standings, and after head-to-head could not separate them, it eventually came down to goal-difference in all pool matches between Botswana and Mozambique after Malawi were eliminated from top spot having not scored a goal against their two rivals.
It then came down to head-to-head and goal-difference between Botswana and Mozambique, where the former came out on top.
The final of the Boys’ competition will be at gateway High School on Saturday at 12h00, while the Girls’ final is at 11h00. The Girls’ third-place play-off is at 09h00 and the Boys’ at 10h00.
The Boys’ competition is played on full size pitches with 11-a-side, while the Girls’ tournament is played on half-sized pitches and is 8-a-side. In both competitions it will be 20 minutes per half, with a 10-minute halftime break. – cosafa.com
FRIDAY’S RESULTS
BOYS
Group A
Zimbabwe 3-0 Mozambique
Malawi 2-1 Botswana
Malawi 2-0 Eswatini
Botswana 1-4 Mozambique
Group B
South Africa 2-1 Namibia
Angola 0-3 Madagascar
South Africa 0-0 Madagascar
Angola 1-2 Zambia
Angola 0-1 Namibia
Zambia 1-2 Madagascar
GIRLS
Group A
Zimbabwe 0-3 Mozambique
Malawi 0-0 Botswana
Malawi 2-0 Eswatini
Botswana 1-1 Mozambique
Group B
South Africa 3-0 Namibia
Angola 1-0 Madagascar
South Africa 8-0 Madagascar
Angola 0-8 Zambia
Angola 1-2 Namibia
Zambia 3-0 Madagascar
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