Amajimbos, led by coach Vela Khumalo, have qualified for the 2026 TotalEnergies CAF U-17 Africa Cup of Nations [AFCON] tournament after humiliating Comoros 7-0 at the Ngoni Mwos Stadium in Zimbabwe on Thursday.
The qualification comes after the South African U-17 team, Amajimbos, advanced to the finals of the 2026 CAF U-17 AFCON COSAFA qualifiers, following their win against Comoros in the semi-finals.
As a result, the victory secured the Amajimbos a place at next year’s AFCON tournament.
The qualifiers are currently ongoing in Harare, Zimbabwe. The tournament commenced on September 11, 2025, and will end on September 20, 2025.
The tournament features 12 nations competing for a spot in the continental finals to be held next year.
THE GOAL SCORERS FOR AMAJIMBOS AGAINST COMOROS
Goals from Aphelele Majola, Thandanani Mhlongo, Ntokozo Madondo, and braces courtesy of Omphemetse Sekgoto and Mpho Mbilini were enough to take Amajimbos to the finals.
Amajimbos have played in eight finals and have won three throughout the tournament’s history. Zambia holds the record for the most titles in COSAFA Cup U-17 history, having won four times.
After the Comoros match, coach Khumalo praised South African youth coaches for the success of Amajimbos in sealing AFCON qualification.
“A big thank you must go to our youth coaches in South Africa, this is their results, this is their product…,” said Khumalo as quoted by Football Stage.
The South African U-17 men’s national team will face either Mozambique or Angola in the finals on Sunday.
In addition, Khumalo will be heading to the 2025 FIFA U-17 World Cup in Qatar. The tournament will start on the 3rd of November and continue until the 27th of November 2025. It will be the first of the five consecutive U-17 World Cups held in Qatar, as part of the new annual cycle implemented by FIFA for the tournament.
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