The Council of Southern African Football Associations (COSAFA) has conducted the draws for the 2024 COSAFA Cup to be staged in South Africa from June 26 to July 7.
The flagship event has three groups of four teams, with 12 out of 14 teams from the region set to battle for the honours.
Two nations, Madagascar and Mauritius, have opted not to compete in the 2024 edition.
Defending champions Zambia have been drawn in Group B alongside Comoros and Zimbabwe while Malawi has withdrawn following the tragic loss of the country’s vice president and nine others in a plane crash.
Hosts South Africa headlines Group A and will come up against Botswana, Mozambique, and Eswatini.
Group C is composed of two-time champions, Angola, who will take on Namibia, Lesotho, and Seychelles in the group stages.
According to the format, the three pool winners and one best runner-up will advance to the semifinals.
Each country will play a minimum of three games in the group, while those that advance from the group stages will play a maximum of five matches. The tournament will also include one extra day of rest between matches to help preserve the players’ energies for the duration of the tournament.
Cosafa to help teams prepare for AFCON
The regional governing body is confident the tournament will help coaches and their teams prepare for the upcoming 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.
“The competition will give vital game-time for players and coaches to teams ahead of the qualifiers for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations finals that are expected to be staged later this year,” COSAFA said in a statement.
This will be the 23rd edition of the COSAFA Cup, which has seen five nations claim bragging rights.
The Chipolopolo Boys have claimed the previous two tournaments and sit at the apex of regional success with seven titles.
The Warriors of Zimbabwe are returning for the first time since 2021 after serving a lengthy FIFA ban and aiming to equal Zambia’s record, while South Africa has five titles.
Angola has won three titles with Namibia being the other nation to claim regional glory.
Four other nations have been to the finals twice: Mozambique, Malawi, Botswana, and Lesotho, but ended up on the losing side on both occasions.
Guest nation Senegal is the only other nation to reach the decider but lost to South Africa in 2021.
READ MORE: Football in Malawi suspended due to the tragic death of vice president and nine others
