South Africa stunned defending champions Zambia 4-0 in their COSAFA U-17 Group B opener on Friday, putting the Young Chipolopolo under early pressure in Harare.
The defeat was a first for Zambia in the group stage since 2018.
Omphemetse Sekgoto opened the scoring inside two minutes, capitalizing on a defensive lapse to give South Africa a dream start.
Zambia conceded a penalty in the 24th minute, which Mpho Moleko calmly converted from the spot to double the lead.
Coach Chris Kaunda reacted swiftly with a 33rd-minute double substitution, bringing on Steve Lungu and Albert Kaunda for Joseph Chizau and Kelvin Chipelu.
Despite those changes, Tandanani Mhlongo struck in the 36th minute to give the Amajimbos a commanding 3-0 halftime advantage.
In the 51st minute, Zambia’s only goal was ruled offside.
Defender Emmanuel Mbutti turned the ball into his own net in the 77th minute, sealing a 4-0 victory for the Amajimbos.
Earlier in the day, Malawi defeated Madagascar 3-1 in other Group B match earlier in the day.
Zambia faces an uphill battle against Malawi in the next group fixture to reach the semi-finals and secure qualification for the 2026 Africa Cup of Nations U-17 tournament.
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