By Tapiwa Chawagarira
ZIMBABWE’s Under-23 national football team has been drawn against Mauritius in the first round of the TotalEnergies CAF Under-23 Africa Cup of Nations Egypt 2027 qualifiers, setting the Young Warriors on a challenging path to the continental finals.
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) held the draw in Cairo on Tuesday, pairing Zimbabwe with fellow COSAFA nation Mauritius in one of 14 first-round ties.
According to the draw, Zimbabwe will host the first leg on September 28 before travelling for the return fixture on October 6, with the aggregate winner progressing to the second round.
If the Young Warriors overcome Mauritius, they will face Mali in the second round, with the first leg scheduled for November 9 and the return match set for November 17.
The draw has outlined Zimbabwe’s entire qualification route. The winners of the first-round tie against Mauritius must negotiate a difficult second-round encounter against Mali before progressing to the final qualifying round in March 2027.
Zimbabwe’s Under-23 side is now under the guidance of Spanish coach Marc Sanchez and his assistant coach, Wilson Mutekede.
CAF has confirmed that 43 nations are participating in the competition, with hosts Egypt automatically qualifying for the eight-team final tournament. The remaining 42 nations will compete in three rounds of home-and-away qualifiers for the seven remaining spots at the continental showpiece.
Zimbabwe was among 28 nations required to begin their campaigns in the first round, while 14 teams were exempted to the second round based on their performances in the previous three editions of the competition.
The first round features a number of intriguing ties across the continent, including Sierra Leone against Burkina Faso, Mauritania versus DR Congo, Tunisia against Benin, Kenya versus Tanzania, and Angola against Namibia.
For Zimbabwe, however, the immediate focus will be on overcoming Mauritius and making a strong start to a campaign that offers the country’s emerging generation of footballers an opportunity to compete against the continent’s best young talents.
The winners of the Zimbabwe-Mauritius tie will take on Mali in November, while the final round of qualifying is scheduled for March 2027. Only seven teams will emerge from the qualification process to join hosts Egypt in the finals.
With the route now clear, attention will turn to Zimbabwe’s preparations as the Young Warriors aim to overcome the Mauritius hurdle and keep their dream of reaching the 2027 Under-23 Africa Cup of Nations alive.
