The COSAFA Under-17 Girls' Championship taking place in Windhoek, Namibia between May 10 and May 17 will offer promising young talents in the area an opportunity to demonstrate their skills, possibly catching the attention of a national senior team coach.
In the past, the championship has frequently achieved this feat, as players who performed exceptionally well subsequently made rapid contributions to their country's senior national team.
Below is a list featuring the top scorers from each of the last four tournaments dating back to the first one held in Mauritius in 2019.
JESSICA WADE (SOUTH AFRICA) - 10 OBJECTIVES
Wade from South Africa participated in the championships held in 2019 and 2020, scoring five goals in each year, demonstrating remarkable consistency.
Six years ago, she led her team into the finals, only to lose against dominant Uganda. However, she was unable to replicate this success in 2020 when her squad ended up finishing in third place.
She has represented the Under-20 national team but hasn’t made it onto the senior Banyana Banyana squad yet. Previously, she played for Emek Hefer in Israel, a club affiliated with Villarreal, during a brief stint facilitated by COSAFA earlier in 2022. Following an extended period out due to injury, she returned to South Africa and is currently competing for JvW FC in the Women’s Super League.
Aisha Masaka (Tanzania) - 10 Goals
The Tanzanian playmaker showcased exceptional performance as she led her nation to victory in 2020, concluding as the leading scorer in the tournament held in Nelson Mandela Bay.
Impressively, she came back to play with the senior national team at the 2021 COSAFA Women's Championship and assisted in claiming the championship title, finding the net during their 3-0 victory against Zimbabwe in the group stages.
She signed with BK Hacken from Sweden and currently plays for the English Women's Super League team Brighton & Hove Albion.
OYISA MARHASI (SOUTH AFRICA) - 11 GOALS
Marhasi participated in both the 2019 and 2020 tournaments but experienced varying outcomes.
She netted 10 goals in helping South Africa to the final in Mauritius but added only one more to that tally in 2020 for a total of 11.
She later played for the University of the Western Cape in the South African Women's Super League, and then the University of Fort Hare.
FAUZIA NAJJEMBA (UGANDA) - 13 GOALS SCORED
Najjemba played a crucial role in the dominant Ugandan team during 2019 and was particularly effective in the 12-0 semifinal victory against Botswana, scoring six goals in that match.
She was captain of Kampala Queens but made a move to Kazakhstan where she turns out for BIIK Kazygurt. She later joined Russian aide ZFK Dynamo Moscow.
She scored a vital penalty in the shoot-out win over Ethiopia as the senior national team advanced to the final stage of qualifying for the 2022 Africa Women's Cup of Nations and is now a fixture in the team.
She appeared in all three matches for Uganda at the 2022 WAFCON finals.
MERCY CHIPASULA (ZAMBIA) - 13 GOALS
Chipasula was pivotal in leading Zambia to clinch the 2024 championship, securing both the Golden Boot and the Player of the Tournament awards. In the finals, she scored an impressive seven goals when Zambia defeated Lesotho 15-0, and she found the back of the net in each of her team’s five matches throughout the competition. Chipasula also started all three of Zambia's fixtures at the 2024 FIFA Under-17 Women's World Cup held in the Dominican Republic and remains qualified for the under-17 category in 2025.
JULIET NALUKENGE (UGANDA) - 18 GOALS
The exceptional talent showcased at the 2019 COSAFA Women's Under-17 Championship by Nalukenge indicates significant promise for her future in football.
She subsequently transferred to Apollon Ladies Football Club in the Cypriot First Division but departed at the conclusion of 2023. Later, she signed with Yanga Princesses before making her move to Turkey with Kayserispor most recently.
She is already an established star in the senior national women's team, though she surprisingly did not make the final squad for the 2022 Women's Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco.
Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. Syndigate.info ).
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