Amajita position themselves strongly to defend COSAFA crown

South Africa’s Amajita have positioned themselves in a strong position to defend their COSAFA Under-20 Championship title after maintaining their perfect start to the 2026 tournament with a convincing 2-0 victory over Angola in Mozambique on Monday.

The defending champions now have six points from two Group B matches, following their opening 3-0 victory over Lesotho, and have yet to concede a goal in the competition.

The victory over Angola was particularly important because both teams had entered the encounter on the back of impressive opening wins. Angola had thrashed Eswatini 4-0, while Amajita had dispatched Lesotho 3-0.

However, it was South Africa who came out on top in the meeting of the two early Group B contenders with this victory.

The result also saw South Africa move ahead of Angola at the top of Group B, putting Raymond Mdaka’s charges in a favourable position going into their final group fixture. One step away from the semi-finals

Amajita will conclude their Group B campaign against Eswatini on Wednesday, 23 September, with kick-off scheduled for 12pm. South Africa need only one more point to secure their semi-final place, according to SAFA.

The semi-finals are scheduled for 25 September, with the final taking place on 27 September.

The tournament format has added significance this year because the competition doubles as the COSAFA qualifier for the 2027 CAF Under-20 Africa Cup of Nations in Ghana. The three group winners and the best runner-up advance to the semi-finals, while the two finalists will qualify for the continental tournament.

Chasing a third successive crown Amajita’s ambitions extend beyond simply reaching the knockout stages.

South Africa are chasing a third successive regional title after winning the COSAFA qualifier in Mozambique in 2024 and then successfully defending their crown at the 2025 Region 5 Games in Namibia, where they defeated Malawi 3-0 in the final.

They also arrive in Mozambique as the reigning CAF Under-20 Africa Cup of Nations champions, having defeated Morocco in the 2025 continental final in Egypt.

That makes the current campaign an important opportunity for Mdaka’s young side to continue South Africa’s recent dominance at Under-20 level.

With six points, five goals scored and none conceded, Amajita have given themselves a solid platform from which to launch their bid for another regional crown.

The final Group B encounter against Eswatini will determine the final standings before the semi-final draw, and Amajita will be looking to complete the group stage unbeaten before turning their attention to the decisive knockout matches.