Eswatini chase CAF Schools finals ticket

MBABANE – Eswatini’s journey to the CAF African Schools Football Championship will begin in Saldanha Bay, South Africa, from December 4-6, 2026.

According to a press statement released by Council of Southern Africa Football Associations (COSAFA) Media Manager Lynda Greeff, the Western Cape coastal town will welcome the best Under-15 boys’ and girls’ school teams from across Southern Africa for three days of high-stakes football, with only one team in each competition booking a ticket to the continental finals.

The tournament is the brainchild of Confederation of African Football (CAF) President Dr Patrice Motsepe, backed by a USD 10 million (around E180 million) investment from the Motsepe Foundation.

Eswatini will aim to build upon their commendable display at the 2025 COSAFA Qualifier in Stellenbosch, South Africa, to secure a historic place on the continental stage. During that outing, the boys’ squad secured an impressive third-place finish to earn a bronze medal.

After opening their group stage with a 1–4 defeat against Zambia, they bounced back with a 3–0 victory over Comoros. Despite a 0–2 loss to South Africa in the semi-finals, they triumphed 4–3 in a dramatic penalty shoot-out following a 1–1 draw to secure third place and a USD 50 000 (around E900 000) prize.

Meanwhile, the girls’ squad demonstrated resilience amid a tough field of 11 COSAFA nations. Following an opening 0–6 defeat to Zambia, they responded with a commanding 6–0 win against Comoros before suffering a narrow 0–2 loss to Lesotho in the play-offs.

Eswatini will be eager to claim the titles on foreign soil, but face stiff competition from traditional rivals Zambia, Malawi, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Lesotho, Mozambique, Angola and Comoros.

The competition structure remains unforgiving. Teams will be drawn into groups, with group winners and the best runner-up advancing to the semi-finals. From that stage onward, it is straight knockout football, where only the eventual champions in each category qualify for the continental finals.

Substantial prize money is at stake to support school sports development. Winners of the regional qualifier will receive USD 100 000 (around E1.8 million), while runners-up take home USD 75 000 (around E1.35 million) and bronze medallists earn USD 50 000 (around E900 000).

The official tournament draw will take place shortly before kickoff, with all matches set for live broadcast on CAF TV and COSAFA’s YouTube channel.

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