Cosafa U20: Eswatini thrash Mauritius
Day 5 of the TotalEnergies U20 AFCON Egypt 2023 COSAFA Qualifiers produced yet another dose of exciting football action at the Somhlolo and Mavuso Stadium.
Zambia edged Botswana 1-0 at the Mavuso Stadium, while hosts, Eswatini thrashed Mauritius 7-0 at Somhlolo Stadium in a highly entertaining clash.
Two quick goals by Mukelo Ngobese in the 3rd and 5th minute ensured Eswatini get the lead they desperately needed to build momentum with the home crowd rallying them behind.
The target man could have found his hattrick in the 12th minute after Sinenkosi Dlamini did well to find the unmarked striker who saw his shot go agonisingly wide off target.
The lead was extended to 3-0 in the 14th minute when a well weighted corner found its way into the box for Siphephelo Philiso to find his first of the tournament with a well taken header.
Ngobese was back on the scoresheet again in the 40th minute after a good interchange of passes concluded with the target man beating Jininio Darbon on his near post.
The hosts continued pushing numbers forward and Ngobese continued in his fine form in the second half with a brilliant strike from inside the box in the 55th minute to register his fourth goal of the tournament.
With the game completely beyond reach for Mauritius, coach Twaleb Fatemamode introduced more substitutions to afford his squad some game time as the hosts continued surging forward in search of more goals.
Sizwe Khumalo also registered his first of the tournament towards the closing stages before Philiso’s brace in the 90th minute concluded the high scoring match at 7-0 to Eswatini.
WEDNESDAY FIXTURES
Angola v Seychelles
Mozambique v Lesotho
South Africa v Comoros
Namibia v Malawi
STANDINGS
| GROUP A | P | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | PTS |
| Zambia | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 6 | 9 |
| Eswatini | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 9 | 3 | 6 | 6 |
| Botswana | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 3 | -1 | 3 |
| Mauritius | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 11 | -11 | 0 |
| GROUP B | P | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | PTS |
| Mozambique | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 5 | 6 |
| Angola | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 3 |
| Lesotho | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 5 | -4 | 3 |
| Seychelles | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 6 | -5 | 0 |
| GROUP C | P | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | PTS |
| Comoros | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 6 |
| South Africa | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 3 |
| Malawi | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 3 |
| Namibia | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | -6 | -4 | 0 |
RESULTS
Group A
Zambia 1 (Kingston Mutandwa 3’) Botswana 0
ESwatini 3 (Nkambule 3’ 5’ 40’ 54’) Philiso (14’ 90’) (Khumalo 79’) Mauritius 0
TOURNAMENT STATS
Matches Played: 14
Goals scored: 42
Biggest victory: Eswatini 7 Mauritius 0, (11 October 2022)
Most goals in a game:
Eswatini 7 – Mauritius 0 (Group A) (11 October 2022)
GOALSCORERS
4 Goals – Mukelo Nkambule (Eswatini).
2 Goals – Rickson Ng’ambi (Zambia), Diogenes Inacio (Angola), Djwa Ramos (Mozambique), Denio Munhave (Mozambique), Chamito Alfandega (Mozambique), Oshwin Andries (South Africa), Siphephelo Philiso (Eswatini).
1 Goal – Chipyoka Songa (Zambia), Nonofo Mosweunyane (Botswana), Mayibongwe Mabuza (Eswatini), Vincent Mkandawire (Malawi), Chifundo Mphasi (Malawi), Danilson Makokisa (Angola), Isaac Vidal (Angola), Antonio Lopes (Angola), Antonio Sumbane (Mozambique), Glen Younousse (Comoros), Botshelo Motsheja (Botswana), Emmanuel Mukosha (Zambia), Lombe Mutale (Zambia), Yakine Said (Comoros), Samuel Betombo (Comoros), Neo Maieane (Lesotho), Relebohile Ratomo (South Africa), Luke Daniels (South Africa), Lawrence Doeseb (Namibia), Alberto Van Wyk (Namibia), Kingston Mutandwa (Zambia), Sizwe Khumalo (Eswatini).
Own Goals