COSAFA’s quest to fast-track the development of women’s football continues next month when the inaugural COSAFA Women’s Under-17 Championship is staged in Mauritius from 20-29 September.
Fresh from the hugely successful COSAFA Women’s Championship and COSAFA Women’s Under-20 Championship that were held in Nelson Mandela Bay, South Africa recently, the region will hold its third tournament for aspiring female players in a little over a month.
It will be the first time ever that an Under-17 championship has been played for women, and forms part of COSAFA’s mandate to grow the opportunities for female players and provide them with the platform in which to gain valuable international experience.
It is often stated that the Under-17 age-group is among the most important as it provides a first opportunity for players to test their ability on a global stage and against their peers.
The Eight-Team Field Will Be Split into Two Pools
The eight-team field will this year include Botswana, Comoros Islands, Madagascar, Mauritius, Seychelles, South Africa, Zambia and East African guest nation Uganda, who will bring an added flair to the tournament.
The teams will be split into two pools each containing four sides, with the top two teams in each pool advancing to the semifinals.
The competition will serve as vital preparation for the teams ahead of the qualifiers for the 2020 FIFA Women’s Under-17 World Cup that will be staged in India.
South Africa and Botswana entered the qualifiers for the 2018 World Cup in Uruguay, with the former qualifying for the final’s tournament, with many of those players having already earned a taste of full, senior international football, such has been their rapid progression.
The likes of Sibulele Holweni and Karabo Dhlamini used their experience in Uruguay when they were selected to the squad for the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup in France.
This will be the fourth tournament that COSAFA have staged in 2019, with two more to follow.
Photo 1 Caption: The South African national Under-17 team will be heading into the inaugural COSAFA Women’s Under-17 Championship in Mauritius with the aim of gaining experience for the qualifying round of the 2020 FIFA World Cup. Photo: SAFA.net
With editing by gsport
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