28 January 2019 — The 2018 COSAFA Under-20 Championship Zambia edition is a tournament which introduced South Africa’s National Under-20 (Amajita) midfielder Promise Mkhuma to the country of his birth and what he could do with the ball at his feet.
The speedy winger produced a COSAFA Player of the Tournament performance, with two man of the match accolades he scooped after four matches played in the competition.
For his nation, he played a massive part in helping them defend their COSAFA Under-20 Championship title.
In every match played, Mkhuma alongside his dedicated teammates, were thinking about getting ready for this year’s Africa Under-20 Cup of Nations Niger edition set to take place from 2 – 17 February 2019.
“Every match we played in COSAFA was a preparation clash for this year’s Africa Under-20 Cup of Nations,” Mkhuma said. “We went all four matches in last year’s COSAFA edition without a single defeat, and we were very happy with that.
“Defending the COSAFA title was a great confidence booster for us and everybody is just fired up to do well against our opponents.
“We want to qualify for this year’s FIFA Under-20 World Cup Poland” Mkhuma added.
A top four finish in this year’s biennial continental showpiece will see Amajita achieving that goal.
Amajita are in Group A alongside hosts Niger, Burundi and Nigeria.
The national juniors will play hosts Niger on 2 February at Seyni Kountche Stadium, before they lock horns with Burundi and Nigeria in their remaining two group matches.
Mkhuma said their preparations for this year’s continental tournament have gone well so far, adding that they are now ready for the battle that is up ahead.
“Our primary objective is to reach the final four of this tournament, which will guarantee us a place in this year’s upcoming FIFA Under-20 World Cup,” Mkhuma said. “Once that is achieved, we will shift our focus in pushing our way into this year’s AFCON final, and possibly winning it for the nation. Our intention is to continue with this habit of grinding out positive results for the nation.”