Sithembinkosi L Jiyane
Sports Reporter
www.zimgbcnews.co.zw<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u200eThe countdown is on as Zimbabwe gets ready to host the 2025 Council of Southern Africa Football Association (COSAFA) Under-17 Boys Football Championship, which also doubles as the TotalEnergies CAF U-17 Africa Cup of Nations 2026 Qualifiers, from September 11 to 20.
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\u200eA total of 12 nations will battle it out for a coveted ticket to next year\u2019s continental finals.
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\u200eAll the action will unfold at the Heart Stadium in Harare and Ngoni Stadium in Norton, venues expected to be rocking with fans cheering on the Young Warriors.
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\u200eDrawn in Group A, Zimbabwe will be banking on home advantage to give them the extra push as they chase their maiden crown at this level. With plenty of young talent in the ranks, the Young Warriors will be aiming to turn possession into goals and hit the ground running from the first whistle.
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\u200eAssistant coach Backlyfield Chivenga says preparations are on track, with the technical bench working around the clock to sharpen the squad.
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\u200e\u201cSo far, we have made a lot of progress in our preparations. After the selection, we began screening the boys, trimming the group to a reasonable number based on quality, and we are now left with a solid squad to work with.\u201d
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\u200eHe added that the team\u2019s playing style has shown steady growth.
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\u200e\u201cWe have seen great progress in terms of how we play. The boys are adapting well, and the structure of our game is getting stronger with each session.\u201d
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\u200eAs part of their build-up, the Young Warriors have already tested themselves in three high-tempo friendlies against strong opposition, valuable tune-ups that gave the coaches a clear read on the side\u2019s strengths and areas that still need fine-tuning.
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\u200eMeanwhile, Mauritius have already touched down in Harare, becoming one of the first teams to arrive for the tournament. Their early arrival signals intent, as sides look to acclimatise quickly and iron out tactics before the group-stage clashes kick off.
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\u200eThe Council of Southern Africa Football Association (COSAFA) Under-17 Football Championship has long been a launchpad for future stars, with many players graduating to shine at senior international and club level.
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\u200eFor Zimbabwe, it is not only about chasing silverware but also about tightening defensive lines, adding attacking bite, and showcasing the nation\u2019s footballing infrastructure.
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\u200eAs kickoff approaches, all eyes will be on the Young Warriors to see if they can convert home advantage into success.
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\u200eWith the stakes high, early arrivals like Mauritius already setting the pace, and a ticket to next year\u2019s continental finals on the line, the 2025 Council of Southern Africa Football Association (COSAFA) Under-17 Boys Football Championship promises thrilling matches, youthful flair, and unforgettable moments for fans across the region.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u200eFollow Zim GBC News for Updates Sithembinkosi L JiyaneSports Reporterwww.zimgbcnews.co.zw \u200eThe countdown is on as Zimbabwe gets ready to host the 2025 Council of Southern Africa Football Association (COSAFA) Under-17 Boys Football Championship, which also doubles… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":8933,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8932","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/zimgbcnews.co.zw\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8932","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/zimgbcnews.co.zw\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/zimgbcnews.co.zw\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/zimgbcnews.co.zw\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/zimgbcnews.co.zw\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=8932"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/zimgbcnews.co.zw\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8932\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8934,"href":"http:\/\/zimgbcnews.co.zw\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8932\/revisions\/8934"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/zimgbcnews.co.zw\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/8933"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/zimgbcnews.co.zw\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=8932"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/zimgbcnews.co.zw\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=8932"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/zimgbcnews.co.zw\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=8932"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
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