Maputo: Namibia's Under-20 (U-20) men's national team made a winning start to their 2026 Council of Southern African Football Associations (COSAFA) TotalEnergies CAF Under-20 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign. Namibia overcame their opponents, Mauritius, with a 1-0 victory in Maputo, Mozambique, on Friday.
According to Namibia Press Agency, the COSAFA U-20 Cup, which serves as a qualifier for the TotalEnergies CAF Under-20 Africa Cup of Nations, got underway on Friday, with Namibia edging Mauritius in their opening Group A fixture at Zimpeto Stadium. Captain Lukas Sakeus scored the decisive goal in the 43rd minute to hand the Young Warriors all three points.
Namibia started brightly and searched for an opening during a tightly contested first half. Their persistence paid off shortly before the interval when Sakeus capitalised on a poor clearance by the Mauritian goalkeeper. The ball fell to the Namibian captain inside the penalty area, about 12 metres from goal, and Sakeus made no mistake, firing Namibia into the lead with what proved to be the only goal of the match.
Mauritius pushed forward in search of an equaliser after the break, but Namibia's defence held firm to preserve their narrow advantage and secure an important opening victory. The Young Warriors will face hosts Mozambique in their next Group A match on Sunday. Mozambique also made a winning start to their campaign, defeating Seychelles 4-1 in the other Group A fixture played at Zimpeto Stadium on Friday.
Mauritius will meet Seychelles earlier on Sunday as both sides look to get their campaigns back on track. In another match played on Friday, regional rivals Zambia and Malawi faced off in Group C, with a late brace from Billy Daka earning record 12-time regional champions Zambia a 2-0 victory.
The 12-team tournament runs until 27 September 2026. The three group winners and the best-ranked runner-up will advance to the semi-finals. The two finalists will qualify for the TotalEnergies CAF Under-20 Africa Cup of Nations, scheduled to be held in Ghana in 2027.