About COSAFA U-20 Cup

History, Format, Organization, Media Coverage

The COSAFA U-20 Cup is a regional men’s football tournament for the under-20 national teams of Council of Southern Africa Football Associations (COSAFA) member countries. Established in 1983, this tournament is intended to be an annual event, though it does not always take place consecutively each year.

The COSAFA U-20 Cup typically starts in December but can also kick off a few months earlier. A total of twelve teams participate, divided into three groups of four. Previous editions have seen participation ranges from 11 to 14 teams—the latter resulting in two groups of three and two additional groups of four.

The first round employs a single round-robin format, with teams playing each country in their group once. Group winners advance to the semifinals, alongside the best runner-up. When 14 countries compete, the top two from each group progress to the knockout stage, starting with the quarterfinals.

The COSAFA U-20 Cup also serves as the region’s qualifier for the U-20 Africa Cup of Nations, with the two finalists earning spots in the biennial continental competition.

Zambia and Zimbabwe are two of the tournament's most successful teams, winning all but one of the first ten editions. Six of those 10 titles went to Zambia, including four consecutive championships from 1993 to 1999. South Africa has also been a notable force in this competition.