Three wins, eight goals, one conceded: Junior Chipolopolo sweep Group C and meet the hosts on Friday

Zambia's Under-20s completed a perfect group stage at the COSAFA U-20 Championship on Wednesday, beating Botswana 3-1 in Matola to finish top of Group C with nine points, eight goals scored and one conceded.

Daniel struck either side of half-time — opening the scoring inside ten minutes and restoring the lead in the second half after Botswana's M. Kent had briefly levelled — before J. Foloko sealed it in stoppage time, according to match records. It followed a 2-0 win over Malawi and a 3-0 dismantling of Comoros, in which Tumelo Mununga, Abel Nyirongo and Kayula Chinunda scored.

COSAFA confirmed the semi-final line-up on Wednesday night: Angola meet Namibia in Friday's first semi, before Perry Mutapa's side face hosts Mozambique in the second at the ABB Stadium. Mozambique are dangerous — their forward Alírio Cuna leads the tournament scoring charts with five goals after a hat-trick against Mauritius — and a partisan crowd is guaranteed.

The stakes are bigger than a regional trophy. Both finalists qualify for the TotalEnergies CAF Under-20 Africa Cup of Nations in Ghana in 2027, meaning Zambia are one win from a continental finals. Win on Friday and Sunday's final is a bonus; lose, and the third-place play-off is all that remains of a campaign that has so far looked a class above.

Sources: COSAFA, "Semi-final line-up confirmed" (23 Sep 2026); CAF Online match reports (21–22 Sep 2026); Flashscore / match records, Zambia U-20 3-1 Botswana U-20 (23 Sep 2026); The Namibian (23 Sep 2026).