With the African Nations Championship (CHAN) a thing of the past, next on the horizon in terms of CAF competitions is the Under-20 Cup of Nations that will be staged in Egypt from Feb. 19-March 11 and features two COSAFA nations.
Zambia and Mozambique take their place in the field after they reached the final of the COSAFA Under-20 Championship in Eswatini last year. Young Chipolopolo were 1-0 winners.
Zambia have been drawn in Group C and will start their campaign against Benin on Feb. 21, before a meeting with Gambia three days later. They end their pool play against Tunisia on Feb. 27.
Mozambique have a tough assignment with games against hosts Egypt (Feb. 19), Senegal (Feb. 22) and Nigeria (Feb. 25), a Group of Death if ever there was one.
The top two teams in each pool advance to the quarterfinals along with the two best third-placed sides.
The goal for all teams is not only to win the trophy, but also make the semifinals, which would qualify them for the 2023 Under-20 World Cup in Indonesia that starts in May.
Zambia played hosts Senegal in a friendly on Tuesday and went down to a first minute goal from Sembe Diallo to lose 1-0. Coach Chisi Mbewe will likely have got a lot from the encounter though.
It was the second match on their west African tour after they had been beaten 4-2 by Nigeria in another warm-up fixture.
Zambia lifted the continental crown on home soil in 2017, the second team from the COSAFA region to do so after Angola were also champions in 2001. Mozambique have qualified for the finals for the first time.