ZIMBABWE'S Young Warriors squads will know the identities of their opponents today when the draw for the COSAFA Under-20 and Under-17 tournaments is conducted in Maputo, Mozambique.
ZIFA's Normalisation Committee has refreshingly committed to reviving the national youth teams which had suffered neglect under the previous leadership of the ousted Felton Kamambo.
The Under-20 and Under-17 sides have been in the past been the bedrock upon which the Warriors' COSAFA Cup success stories have been built with such players like Tinashe Nengomasha, Tapuwa Kapini, Onismor Bhasera, Knowledge Musona, and Khama Billiat having risen from those junior ranks to shine for the senior team.
COSAFA will also conduct draws for the Women's Under-17 Championship, which just the Men's Under-17 competition, will also be hosted in Maputo from December 5-15.
But it is the Under-20 tourney which will come hard on the heels of the Warriors opening Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, which should provide new Zimbabwe coach Michael Nees with a chance to sample the young talent available for the country.
It could be an opportunity for ZIFA to give some of the British Brigade a chance to showcase their talent and stake claims for places in the senior side.
Similarly, the tournament set for Maputo from September 26-October 5, provides Nees with an opportunity to assess some of the young talent on the domestic front.
In announcing the dates and times of the draw COSAFA acknowledged the significance of "the latest instalment of the vital regional tournament that has been a breeding ground for so much Southern African talent down the years.
"The competition will also act as a zonal qualifier for the Under-20 Cup of Nations next year, with the two finalists set to advance to the continental show-piece.
"Mozambique will be looking to regain the title they won in 2020, having only managed silver last time out in 2022, as fans get to see a new batch of young stars from the Southern African region," COSAFA said.
There was no competition played in 2021 as the event that was scheduled for Eswatini was postponed due to the emergence of the Omicron Covid-19 variant, nor in 2023 due to scheduling issues.
But it is back on the calendar now and the COSAFA Under-20 Championship has been vital in developing some of the brightest stars from the region in its many guises down the years. Running through the list of past stars to grace the finals, it reads like a Who's Who of Southern African football and all will have benefited from the exposure they got to top-level competition.
From a South African perspective, the likes of Itumeleng Khune, Lerato Chabangu, Daine Klate, Elrio van Heerden, and Lyle Foster all represented their country at this level and gone on to forge successful club and international careers.
Other young stars such as Clifford Mulenga and Isaac Chansa (both Zambia), Tinashe Nengomasha and Onismor Bhasera (both Zimbabwe), as well as Jimmy Zakazaka (Malawi), have used the tournament to persuade clubs outside of their country that they have a bright future in the game.
The tournament was first played in 1983 but was a little-recognised get-together of a few of the stalwarts of the region, including Zimbabwe, Zambia, Malawi, and Botswana.
The Apartheid laws of South Africa at the time meant they were excluded, and the country only entered the fray for the first time in 1993.
Those early years were dominated by the "Two Zs," with Zambia winning six and Zimbabwe three of the first nine tournaments held.
South Africa were the first team to break the mould when they triumphed in 2000, having been losing finalists in 1995 and 1999.
A year earlier, in 1999, they had taken over the hosting of the event, which before then had been spread around the region.
Each tournament up until 2009 was held in South Africa but the winners were less easy to predict. Madagascar became only the fourth country to win the event when they surprisingly triumphed in 2005, beating shock finalists Lesotho 1-0 in the final.
Before Lesotho in 2013, the previous two instalments, in 2010 and 2011, were hosted by Botswana, with Zambia extending their winning streak to three with success in both.
They added a 10th title in 2016 when they romped through the competition, defeating hosts South Africa 2-1 in the final. South Africa regained the trophy in 2017 though after Zambia surprisingly exited in the pool stages.
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And they won again in 2018, this time defeating Zimbabwe in the final after a tense penalty shoot-out. But Zambia are always in contention and they raced the title on home soil in 2019, defeating old enemy South Africa 3-0 in the decider to complete an excellent tournament. Mozambique have long produced excellent footballers, and they finally got some reward at junior level as they lifted the trophy for the first time in 2020.
They did it the hard way too, seeing off South Africa in the pool stages before defeating Zambia on penalties in the semi-finals.
They triumphed after a 1-0 win over Namibia in the final. Zambia were back on top two years ago when they beat Mozambique 1-0 in the decider.
But more than lifting the trophy, the competition is about developing the talent of tomorrow and giving young players the chance to tackle their peers in a highly competitive environment that should help to prepare them for the challenges of senior international football. -- Sports Reporter/cosafa.com.
