Can South Africa Continue COSAFA Women’s Cup Dominance?
Jun 8, 2019; Le Havre, FRANCE; South Africa pose for a photo before their game against Spain in group play during the FIFA Women's World Cup France 2019 at Stade Oceane. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Prevost/Presse Sports via USA TODAY Sports
Written by Oluwaseun Oyediji
As we approach September 18, 2021, kick off of the ninth edition of the COSAFA Women’s Cup at Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan Municipality, South Africa, the host country is poised to maintain its dominance irrespective of Zambia’s showing at the just concluded Tokyo 2020 Olympics.
Barbara Banda will be high in confidence to lead her high-scoring Zambian side to the COSAFA Women’s Cup trophy after failing to win the trophy since inception in 2002.
Banda broke the Olympics record by emerging as the first woman to score two hat-tricks at a single Olympics. She achieved the feat in her first two games against the Netherlands and South Korea.
If she can maintain her current form, and the team improves on its defensive failures which saw the Zambians concede about 14 goals in three games at the Olympics, Zambia can pose a challenge to the most successful team in the competition, South Africa.
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South Africa has won seven of the eight editions of the COSAFA Women’s Cup, the only edition which the Rainbow nation failed to win was won by Zimbabwe in 2011.
Desire Ellis’ led side has won 2002, 2006, 2008, 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2020 editions at the expense of the likes of Zimbabwe, Namibia, Angola, Cameroon, Zambia, and Botswana.
South Africa as host has been drawn in Group A alongside Angola, Malawi, and Mozambique.
Group B houses Botswana, Tanzania, South Sudan, and Zimbabwe while Group C will see the likes of Zambia, Namibia, Eswatini, and Uganda square up.
Meanwhile…
South Africa trio of Noko Matlou (2008) with 12 goals, Linda Motlhalo (2018) with 4 goals, and Sibulele Holweni (2020) with 8 goals have emerged as the top goal scorers thrice while Zimbabwe’s Rufaro Machingura, Rutendo Makore, and Zambia’s Rachel Nachula have also won the highest goal scorers prize.
All eyes will be on Barbara Banda to see if she can lift her side above South Africa’s threats when the 2021 COSAFA Women’s Cup takes centre stage.
2021 COSAFA Women’s Cup
Group A: South Africa, Angola, Malawi, Mozambique
Group B: Botswana, Tanzania, South Sudan, Zimbabwe
Group C: Zambia, Namibia, Eswatini, Uganda
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