There have been some small adjustments to the venues and kick-off times for fixtures for the 2018 MOPANI Copper Mines COSAFA Under-20 Championships to be staged in Kitwe, Zambia with just over three weeks to go to the big kick-off.
The Nkana Stadium will host the bulk of the games, including the opening match between Malawi and Mozambique on December 2 and the final 12 days later. The second venue that will host seven games, all in the first-round pool stage, will be confirmed after a final inspection that will take place on Thursday.
The first four match days will have three games each, providing a feast of viewing for fans in Kitwe, as well as those watching on Kwese Free Sports around the world.
Hosts Zambia open their campaign against Central African guest nation DR Congo on match day one, a classic clash that will no doubt set the tone for the remainder of the tournament.
The top team in each pool as well as the best-placed runner-up will contest the semifinals, which will both be played at the Nkana Stadium on December 11, with the losers at that stage playing for the bronze medal as a curtain-raiser to the final.
South Africa will be defending champions after they beat Lesotho 2-1 in the final in Kitwe last year, but there will be many potential challengers to their crown this time round.
Zambia are 11-time winners of the COSAFA Under-20 Championships, while Zimbabwe and South Africa have six wins each. Madagascar are the only other nation to lift the title after they enjoyed success in 2005, beating Lesotho in the final.- COSAFA
