Zambia U20 defeated Malawi U20 2:0 in Group Stage C of the COSAFA U20 Championship on Thursday. The result moves the hosts into first place in the table with six points from two games. Malawi remain second after their second defeat of the tournament, sitting on three points.
By then, the group picture was becoming clearer. Zambia had shown they could take control against a side that beat them earlier in the summer, while Malawi's loss to South Africa U20 had already raised questions about their consistency. This time they offered less resistance.
The hosts have proven they can bounce back, drawing with Angola U20 before losing to Malawi in July. They followed that with victories over Botswana U20 and Eswatini U20, and a 3:3 thriller against South Africa U20. Malawi had won five of their last six matches before this setback, including that comeback win over Zambia.
Two wins and a clean sheet puts Zambia on top of the group. Malawi still have work to do if they want to keep pace with the leaders. The group stage continues to shape itself, and every result carries weight when you are fighting for position.