Young Warriors Step Up Preparations Ahead of COSAFA Qualifiers

The Zimbabwe Under-17 men’s football team, the Young Warriors, are intensifying preparations for the upcoming 2026 TotalEnergies CAF Under-17 Africa Cup of Nations COSAFA Qualifiers, which the country will host from September 11 to 20.

Assistant Coach Backlyfield Chivenga said the squad has shown steady progress since entering camp, with the technical team now focusing on refining quality and tactical awareness after trimming the provisional list.

“We were screening the boys and bringing them into a reasonable number by quality. We are left with quite a good number to work with, and we’ve seen progress from day one to now. There’s evidence of improvement in terms of how we play,” Chivenga told reporters.

The Young Warriors have played three friendly matches against strong opposition, which Chivenga described as crucial in testing the squad’s readiness and exposing areas for further improvement.

“These matches gave us a picture of where we are in terms of our style of play. We will keep on working on our defensive shape and our attacking shape,” he said. “We are also trying to bring the boys into a friendly working environment, making them understand that it’s not about individuals but about representing the nation.”

The technical team has placed emphasis on instilling discipline, unity, and tactical maturity — qualities they believe are essential for the squad to challenge for honours in the regional competition.

Zimbabwe will be banking on home advantage as hosts, with expectations high that the Young Warriors can finally break their qualification drought. The COSAFA tournament not only crowns the region’s best but also serves as the pathway to the CAF U-17 Africa Cup of Nations.

The Young Warriors last reached the continental finals in 2007 in Togo. Since then, they have consistently fallen short in regional qualifiers, often exiting at the group stages. Hosting the 2026 edition offers a chance to revive their fortunes and re-establish Zimbabwe’s presence in youth football.

“If we continue with this trajectory, we will get to the tournament prepared to get the results,” Chivenga said, adding that confidence is growing within the squad.

The Young Warriors are set to open their COSAFA campaign in Harare, with fixtures expected to be announced in the coming days.

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