The draw was conducted by COSAFA competitions committee chairperson Timothy Shongwe and Lesotho national team coach Leslie Notsi, outlining the fixtures for the event that will be staged from December 3-14.
The 14 competing teams have been split into four pools, two containing four sides and the other two with three teams. Zimbabwe are in Group D while Group A will see the hosts competing against East African guests Kenya, Comoros Islands and Mauritius. Group B contains Angola, Mozambique and Madagascar. South Africa will be in a four-team Group C that contains defending champions Zambia, Namibia and Seychelles.
Young Warriors will meet Swaziland in their Group D opener in Maseru also on on the second day of the tournament.
The first matches of the tournament will be played in Maseru on December 3, with Botswana’s clash against Swaziland the first of a triple-header that will end with Lesotho taking on Comoros.
Before that East African guests Kenya will take on Mauritius in their first match.
The official opening ceremony for the tournament will also be held at the venue on the first match day.
Zambia, who have won the last three instalments of the competition, open their title defence against Namibia in the other match venue for the tournament, Mafeteng on December 4. South Africa, another of the pre-tournament favourites, will take on Seychelles at the same venue.
Post published in: Football