Johannesburg – The Council of Southern Africa Football Associations (Cosafa) Cup is upon us and Bafana Bafana have received one of the most generous draws in the history of the competition.
South Africa has been pitted against immediate neighbours in the first round of the Cosafa Cup to be held in Gqeberha, in the Nelson Mandela Bay Metro from July 17 to 18.
Newly appointed Bafana coach Hugo Broos’ team face regional lightweights Lesotho, Botswana and Eswatini in the group stages and the rules state that only the winners of each of the three groups proceed to the knockout-stages semifinals.
The fourth team to reach the semifinals will be the best runner-up across all three groups.
Six-time winners Zimbabwe have been drawn alongside west African guest nation Senegal in the group stages of the 20th edition of the tournament, according to the Cosafa Cup website.
It will be a tasty clash that will ignite the imagination in what will arguably be a group of death that also includes Mozambique and 2015 Cosafa Cup winners Namibia.
Defending champions Zambia will face Malawi, Madagascar and Comoros in their first-round pool. Only the top team in each group and the best-placed runner-up will advance to the semifinals in what is a change in formation for the tournament this year.
That means each side is guaranteed three games up to a maximum of five, which will provide vital preparation for those national teams involved in the 2022 Fifa World Cup qualifiers later this year.
The Cosafa Cup makes a comeback after the event was cancelled last year due to Covid- 19.
It will be hosted in Nelson Mandela Bay for the first time, which has been a familiar home for other regional competitions.
COSAFA CUP DRAW:
GROUP A
South Africa
Lesotho
Eswatini
Botswana
GROUP B
Zambia
Malawi
Madagascar
Comoros
GROUP C
Senegal
Zimbabwe
Mozambique
Namibia
Also read: Mkhalele announces Bafana Cosafa Cup squad
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