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COSAFA CUP PROPOSED FOR OCTOBER

18/08/2020 01:57:00 BY SANELE JELE

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MBABANE - The Executive Committee of the Council of Southern African Football Associations (COSAFA) has approved several new initiatives, including a revised 2020 calendar for tournaments, subject to the prevailing COVID-19 conditions across the region.

This is according to a correspondence which was copied to this publication yesterday.

While the impact that the COVID-19 pandemic will have on travel and quarantine restrictions remains uncertain in the coming months, the executive has crafted a potential blueprint for hosting competitions if conditions allow across the COSAFA region. Sihlangu made history in the 2016 edition as they claimed a bronze medal after beating DR Congo in the annual tournament.

Champions

The defending champions of the tournament are Zambia who beat Botswana 1-0 in the finals which were played at Moses Mabhida Stadium on June 8, 2019.

Eswatini crashed out in the group stages after playing to two draws. They were first held by Mauritius on May 25 at King Zwelithini Stadium and on May 27 they were also held to a 2-all draw by Comoros. The draws were not enough to take them to the quarterfinals.

The Under-17 and Under-20 COSAFA Men’s Championships serve as qualifiers for the continental finals to be staged by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) and as such a priority has been placed on finding a window for these tournaments.

The Mauritius Football Association has confirmed having government’s approval to host these tournaments in November and December 2020, subject to COVID-19 levels remaining as they are, and strict health protocols being implemented.

The continental finals for the Under-17 age-group are scheduled for Morocco next July, while the Under-20 finals are set for Mauritania at a date that is yet to be determined.

The organisation is also exploring the potential of hosting its flagship men’s COSAFA Cup during the October FIFA International window, while the senior COSAFA Women’s Championship has also been pencilled in for October 19-31 at Nelson Mandela Bay.

Travel

Both are highly dependent on prevailing COVID-19 and travel conditions in South Africa at the time. There is also a plan to overlap the COSAFA Women’s Under-17 Championship (October 15-25) with the senior tournament in South Africa.

The Under-20 Women’s Championship, which was scheduled for the Region 5 Games in Maseru in December, has been cancelled for this year after the Games were postponed to December 2021.

While the 2020 calendar remains uncertain given the unpredictability of the COVID-19 pandemic, there are exciting plans to add as many as three more competitions in 2021, in what will be an incredibly busy time.

COSAFA has applied to host a Boys Under-15 Championship in conjunction with the UEFA Assist programme, which will be timely with CAF focusing more on this age-group for their own development initiatives.

COSAFA has also created a task team to devise plans for the Regional Women’s Champions League, which the organisation hopes to stage for the first-time next year, subject to funding being sourced to support this competition.

There is also the potential to stage a Beach Soccer and Futsal Championships for the region that is being explored, which would bring the total to 10 COSAFA tournaments in 2021.

Away from the pitch, the COSAFA Executive committee also approved the implementation of online training workshops for all countries in the areas of coaching, referees, administration and media, subject to the necessary funding being available.

Comment

When reached for comment, Eswatini Football Association (EFA) Marketing and Communications Officer Muzi Radebe said they had not received anything official from COSAFA, so they could not comment.

Meanwhile, Sihlangu Coach Dominic Kunene said this was good news.

“If this would be possible, then we will be ready as the national team. While it is true that players have being inactive for some time, the two months of preparations could be enough to ensure the players are fit,” Kunene said.

When asked what it personally meant to him as he had not yet coached an official game since joining Sihlangu, he said;

“I am still looking forward to my first game as head coach of the national team.

“That said, we must respect what government, FIFA and WHO advises as they have all been preaching that health comes first. We will wait and hopefully the situation is manageable or advised by our local authorities to go ahead,” he said.

He further advised players to keep training at home to maintain their fitness level.