Comoros to make debut at Cosafa men’s U-17 Championship

Comoros will be competing in the Council of Southern African Football Associations (Cosafa) men’s Under-17 Championship for the first time in their history as they seek to develop a new generation of young stars for the national team.

The Indian Ocean island is one of eight sides that will compete at regional finals, which take place in Blantyre, Malawi from October 11 to 20.

The team will be led by coach Zainoudine Msoili, who will have the task of moulding the teenagers for international football and showing them what participating in a major tournament is all about.

Comoros have been drawn in the same pool as Lesotho, Mozambique and defending champions Angola, with the top two sides in each group advancing to the semifinals.

They have already defeated Mozambique twice in the last three years but lost to Angola in the preliminary rounds of the 2017 African Under-17 Championship.

Comoros football is on the rise at all levels and having reached out to the diaspora in Europe to bolster the senior national team, they are also eager to develop home-grown talent.

There are several Comoros players at clubs in France, Belgium and the Scandinavian countries, and this Cosafa Under-17 Championship will give scouts the opportunity to run their eye over more.

Comoros have been a Cosafa member since 2006 and have played in several senior and age-group tournaments. They have never qualified for the continental or global finals at this age-group level.

In partnership with ANA and Sports Leo