The Malawi Under-17 Boys have been drawn in what looks like a group of death at the TotalEnergies Caf Under-17 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon)/Cosafa Qualifiers 2026.
They are in Group B alongside regional powerhouses Zambia, South Africa and Madagascar.
The draw for the competition took place in Johannesburg, South Africa, Tuesday.
The qualifiers are scheduled for September 11 to 20 in Harare, Zimbabwe.
The junior Flames will be hoping to reach the semi-finals after exiting the previous edition in the group stages.
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Malawi finished bottom of Group A last year following draws with Angola and Mozambique.
They lost 3-1 to Lesotho in their last group stage match.
On the other hand, Zambia are the defending champions and the most successful team in the competition’s history, with South Africa being the second most successful side.
Group A comprises Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Comoros and eSwatini whereas Group C has Angola, Botswana, Mauritius and Lesotho.
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The top team from each group will advance to the semi-finals along with the best second placed team.
Junior Flames coach Enos Chatama believes that his charges can beat all the teams.
“On paper, it looks like a tough group but we need to prepare well for the tournament as football is played on the pitch. The level of competition in the group will be very high,” he said.
The Ekhaya FC coach is expected to lead the junior Flames for the second consecutive year.
Meanwhile, Kukoma Ntopwa have been drawn in Group A alongside powerhouses Mamelodi Sundowns and debutants Zesco Ndola Girls (Zambia) Beauties FC from Namibia.
Group B comprises last year’s beaten finalists Gaberone United Ladies from Botswana, Young Buffaloes from eSwatini and debutants Kicks4Life (Lesotho) whereas Group C has Herentals Queens (Zimbabwe), Costal do Sol (Mozambique) and Olympique de Moroni from Comoros.
The top team in each group will advance to the semi-finals along with the best second-placed team.
In the case of Group A, results against the team that will finish bottom will be omitted for that calculation.
The champions will automatically qualify for the Caf Women’s Champions League finals.
Ntopwa owner and technical director Isaac Jomo Osman said her charges would not be intimidated.
“We are ready to face any team. We are going there to compete and show our quality,” Osman said.
Ntopwa will represent the country for the second time in the Cosafa Qualifier, having made their debut in 2023 in Durban, South Africa.
Then, they failed to register a win in three matches, losing 4-0 to Botswana’s Double Action, 1-0 to Zambia’s Green Buffaloes and registering a 1-1 stalemate with Lesotho’s Defence Force.
