Zimbabwe seal Cossasa 2026 Under-17 title with dominant final win

Zimbabwe finished the 2026 Cossasa Games with a commanding victory over Lesotho in the boys’ Under-17 football final at White City Stadium on Wednesday. The hosts’ performance secured the football title and provided the closing highlight of the competition.

The final displayed the quality available in Zimbabwe’s school system, with the young side combining technical ability, physical strength and individual skill. Their performance suggested that the country has promising players who could progress towards higher levels if given consistent support.

Sport, Recreation, Arts and Culture Minister Anselem Sanyatwe attended the final as guest of honour. The match brought the Games to a close after Zimbabwe took responsibility for staging the event at short notice.

South Africa had initially been selected to host the 2026 Games but withdrew in the first week of July. Lesotho then accepted the hosting role before also pulling out roughly two weeks later, leaving Zimbabwe to step in with support from the country’s sports ministry.

Cephas Mutume, who led the local organising committee and serves as president of the National Association of Secondary School Heads, said the Games had been delivered successfully despite the limited preparation time. Volleyball was the only sport code that did not run fully, while match officials and invited school principals were satisfied with the organisation.

Zimbabwe’s football success came against the backdrop of a mixed athletics outcome. South Africa remained the stronger team across track and field, although Zimbabwe produced notable individual results, including Ropa Muzondo’s Under-17 victories in the 200 metres and 400 metres.

Mutume identified the timing of the athletics programme as a challenge for Zimbabwe and supported separating athletics from the ball sports. He said school athletics needed a longer calendar and more regular activity if the country was to close the gap with South Africa. For the football finalists, the next priority is a clear development route, regular competition and continued exposure.