The 2024 COSAFA Cup will be held in Gqeberha, South Africa, from Wednesday 26 June to Sunday 7 July, as 11 teams from the Council of Southern African Football Associations and guest nation Kenya battle for glory.
COSAFA Cup history
The COSAFA Cup was first played in 1997 and held annually until 2009, and then revived in 2013 and held annually every year since (except for 2020, due to the Covid-19 pandemic). The 2024 tournament will be the 23rd Cosafa Cup. Zambia won the first Cosafa Cup and have been the most successful side ever since, recording seven titles – which includes their triumph in the last edition in 2023. Zimbabwe (six titles), South Africa (five), Angola (three) and Namibia (one) are the other nations which have lifted the Cosafa Cup trophy down the years. South Africa will host the tournament for a seventh successive time.
Who will play this year, and what is the format?
Eleven of the COSAFA region teams will compete: Eswatini, Comoros, Lesotho, Botswana, Zambia, Mozambique, Namibia, Angola, Seychelles, Zimbabwe (who return for the first time since 2021 after the lifting of their FIFA ban) and hosts South Africa. Madagascar and Mauritius opted not to participate, while Malawi withdrew out of respect for a tragic accident which claimed the life of former Vice-President Saulos Chilima. In their stead, Kenya have stepped in as a guest team. The Harambee Stars are appearing in the Cosafa for the second time, having debuted 11 years ago in 2013 (they were eliminated in the group stage).
This year’s format sees the 12 teams broken down into four groups of three, in which round-robin matches are played. The top team from each group advances to the semifinal, as does the runner-up with the best record. The semifinals are followed by a third-place playoff and final, both held on Sunday 7 July at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium.
Who are the favourites to win?
Zambia, of course! The seven-time winners are chasing a third successive triumph (which has never been achieved in COSAFA Cup history) and will back themselves to secure glory for the fourth time in the space of five editions.
Zimbabwe, returning for the first time in three years, will also be regarded as potential champions – especially as they have had to sit on the sidelines while arch-rivals Zambia have overtaken them as the most successful all-time COSAFA Cup nation, making for a major motivating force.
Hosts South Africa should not be underestimated, while Lesotho and Namibia – the runners-up from the last two editions – will also be hungry to stage an upset, while Kenya could have the element of surprise.
Key players to watch!
Zambia have brought a very young squad, but in Al Hilal’s Albert Kangwanda they have a high-class, experienced attacker who will add ruthlessness to their attack. Andrew Phiri and Kelvin Kapumbu are also ones to watch, while youngster Sekanji Siame is regarded as a prodigy at just 18 years of age.
Zimbabwe’s squad includes English-based players Shane Maroodza (Huddersfield Town) and Marley Tavaziva (Brentford), while forward Takunda Benhura of Ngezi Platinum is a highly rated prospect.
South Africa’s squad also has several rising stars who are already well-known in the DStv Premiership, such as Ethan Brooks, Devin Titus, Ashley Cupido, Jaedin Rhodes and Sirgio Kammies.
Kenya have brought a U-23 squad to the tournament, which includes overseas-based rising stars such as Amos Wanjala (Nastic Sports Academy, Spain), Josphat Lopaga (Dynamo Brest, Belarus) and George Gitau (Middlesbrough, England) amongst others.
Five reasons to watch the Cosafa Cup on DStv
- Keep the football fun rolling: The Cosafa Cup has become a ‘bridge’ event that provides you with action from ‘The Beautiful Game’ even between traditional season windows.
- See the rising stars: The Cosafa Cup has become a proving ground for the best prospects, often showcasing young players that go on to become full senior national team regulars.
- History and intrigue: With 22 tournaments under its belt, there is plenty of narrative and history to the Cosafa Cup. This year in particular sees Zambia looking to become the first ‘three-peat’ champions, but Zimbabwe’s return could throw a spanner in the works.
- Underdog fairytales: The Cosafa Cup has a strong history of the so-called underdogs rising to prominence, such as Namibia’s 2015 triumph, and just last year Lesotho reached the final and were only narrowly beaten by Zambia.
- Exotic guest teams: This year Kenya will bring their flair to the tournament, while past guest teams include Senegal, Ghana, DR Congo, Tanzania and Uganda.
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COSAFA Cup broadcast details
Times CAT
Wednesday 26 June
- 15:00: Eswatini v Botswana – LIVE on SuperSport La Liga, SuperSport Variety 3 and SuperSport Maximo 360
- 18:00: South Africa v Mozambique – LIVE on SuperSport La Liga, SuperSport PSL, SuperSport Variety 3 and SuperSport Maximo 360
Thursday 27 June
- 15:00: Comoros v Zimbabwe – LIVE on SuperSport La Liga, SuperSport Variety 4 and SuperSport Maximo 360
- 18:00: Zambia v Kenya – LIVE on SuperSport La Liga, SuperSport Variety 4 and SuperSport Maximo 360
Friday 28 June
- 15:00: Lesotho v Seychelles – LIVE on SuperSport La Liga, SuperSport Variety 4 and SuperSport Maximo 360
- 18:00: Angola v Namibia – LIVE on SuperSport La Liga, SuperSport Variety 4 and SuperSport Maximo 360
Saturday 29 June
- 12:00: Mozambique v Eswatini – LIVE on SuperSport La Liga, SuperSport Variety 4 and SuperSport Maximo 360
- 15:00: South Africa v Botswana – LIVE on SuperSport La Liga, SuperSport PSL, SuperSport Variety 4 and SuperSport Maximo 360swana
Sunday 30 June
- 12:00: Kenya v Comoros – LIVE on SuperSport La Liga, SuperSport Variety 4 and SuperSport Maximo 360
- 15:00: Zambia v Zimbabwe – LIVE on SuperSport La Liga, SuperSport Variety 4 and SuperSport Maximo 360
Monday 1 July
- 12:00: Angola v Seychelles – LIVE on SuperSport La Liga, SuperSport Variety 4 and SuperSport Maximo 360
- 15:00: Namibia v Lesotho – LIVE on SuperSport La Liga, SuperSport Variety 4 and SuperSport Maximo 360
Tuesday 2 July
- 12:00: Comoros v Zambia – LIVE on SuperSport La Liga, SuperSport Variety 4 and SuperSport Maximo 360
- 12:00: Kenya v Zimbabwe – LIVE on SuperSport OTT1
- 15:00: South Africa v Eswatini – LIVE on SuperSport La Liga, SuperSport PSL, SuperSport Variety 4 and SuperSport Maximo 360
- 15:00: Mozambique v Botswana – LIVE on SuperSport OTT1
Wednesday 3 July
- 15:00: Lesotho v Angola – LIVE on SuperSport La Liga, SuperSport Variety 4 and SuperSport Maximo 360
- 15:00: Namibia v Seychelles – LIVE on SuperSport OTT1
Friday 5 July
- 15:00: Semifinal 1 – LIVE on SuperSport La Liga, SuperSport Variety 4 and SuperSport Maximo 360
- 18:00: Semifinal 2 – LIVE on SuperSport La Liga, SuperSport Variety 4 and SuperSport Maximo 360
Sunday 7 July
- 12:00: Third Place Playoff – LIVE on SuperSport La Liga, SuperSport Variety 4 and SuperSport Maximo 360
- 15:00: Final – LIVE on SuperSport La Liga, SuperSport Variety 4 and SuperSport Maximo 360