The COSAFA Show

In this episode of The COSAFA Show we look ahead to the TotalEnergies CAF Under-20 Africa Cup of Nations | COSAFA Qualifier that will be staged in Maputo, Mozambique from Thursday until the final on October 5.

There are 11 teams that will be hoping to at the very least reach the decider and earn a place at the continental finals that are to be held next year, where COSAFA will be represented by two teams.

Zambia are the record 12-time winners and looking to make it lucky number 13 is their coach Boyd Mulwanda, who himself lifted this trophy as a player all the way back in 1997, explains to us. What a special moment it would be for him if he could repeat that feat as a coach and we get his thoughts ahead of kick-off.

Namibia coach James Britz took the country to the silver medal in 2020 and is back again for a third shot at the title with a new-look team. He details his side’s preparations and what we may expect from the Young Brave Warriors in Maputo.

We also get the thoughts of the four-time CAF Women’s Coach of the Year Dr Desiree Ellis on the level of coaching on the continent and what can be done to help aspiring young female tacticians to realise their dreams.

In this latest episode of The COSAFA Show we have an exclusive interview with new Zimbabwe coach Michael Nees as he prepares the side for the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers that get underway this week.

Zimbabwe will take on Kenya and Cameroon in a tough start to their bid to reach the continental finals in Morocco next year, while Nees must also plan for the resumption of the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers in March next year.

In this extensive chat he lays down his plans for the side and gives some insight into his coaching history, and how he has almost come full circle in his career that has seen him work extensively in the COSAFA region.

We also hear from the winning coach at the CAF Women’s Champions League | COSAFA Qualifier Thinasonke Mbuli from the University of the Western Cape on their triumph and what it means to the team.

In our latest episode of The COSAFA Show we discuss the ongoing CAF Women’s Champions League | COSAFA Qualifiers taking place this week and next in the Malawian city of Blantyre.

Only the winners will join holders Mamelodi Sundowns in the continental finals later this year, with five teams making their debut in the regional qualifiers.

We hear first from COSAFA Executive Director Sue Destombes about the tournament and being back in Malawi for another COSAFA event.

University of the Western Cape are representing South Africa having been runners-up to Sundowns in the last three editions of the domestic Women’s Super League. We hear from their coach Thinasonke Mbuli.

Ascent Academy will be the home team in Malawi, even if they are from the city of Lilongwe. They have a very young group of players but are packed with talent, as their coach Thom Mkolongo explains to us.

Herentals Queens will make their debut at the regional qualifiers as the first team from Zimbabwe to compete since the inaugural tournament in 2021. Midfielder Sikulekile Nyoni tells us a little more about the team.

In our latest episode of The COSAFA Show as we chat to Banyana Banyana captain Refiloe Jane in a look ahead to the CAF Women’s Champions League | COSAFA Qualifier that will be staged in Malawi next month. We also hear from attendees at the recent COSAFA Regional General Secretaries workshop and get the thoughts of Magesi FC coach Clinton Larsen ahead of the new season in South Africa after he guided the Limpopo team to an unlikely promotion to the Betway Premiership that even he admits surprised many within the club.

In this special episode of The COSAFA Show as we look ahead to the HOLLYWOODBETS COSAFA CUP 2024 that will be played in Gqeberha from Wednesday.

COSAFA Executive Director Sue Destombes speaks about the tournament the readiness for what is expected to be another sizzling chapter in the history of the prestigious regional showpiece competition.

Mozambique defender Edmilson Dove is coming off a tough season for Kaizer Chiefs but has made himself available to play for The Mambas at the COSAFA Cup and shares his thoughts ahead of their first game in Gqeberha.

Bafana Bafana stand-in coach Helman Mkhalele had to barter and juggle resources to put together a squad for the COSAFA Cup but has an exciting young group of players with him at the tournament. The assistant coach to Hugo Broos has the reins at the COSAFA Cup and is looking to lead the hosts to a first title since 2021.

Finally, Rushwin Dortley of Cape Town Spurs has been chosen to captain the South Africa team, a big honour for the 22-year-old as he explains.

In our latest episode of The COSAFA Show as we look ahead to the 2026 World Cup qualifiers taking place this week and next, and also speak to COSAFA Executive Committee member Walter Nyamilandu-Manda.

The inaugural COSAFA Awards were held in Johannesburg recently and brought out a galaxy of stars to celebrate our achievements as a football community in Southern Africa. There were many big winners on the night, not least the Mamelodi Sundowns quartet of Rulani Mokwena, Ronwen Williams, Thapelo Maseko and Andile Dlamini, as we honoured those who took our game to the next level in 2023.

The inaugural COSAFA Awards were held in Johannesburg recently and brought out a galaxy of stars to celebrate our achievements as a football community in Southern Africa. There were many big winners on the night, not least the Mamelodi Sundowns quartet of Rulani Mokwena, Ronwen Williams, Thapelo Maseko and Andile Dlamini, as we honoured those who took our game to the next level in 2023.

COSAFA is about to embark on an exciting new era with the acquisition of Video Assistant Referee (VAR) equipment to both roll out at its tournaments and use as a teaching tool for training purposes for match officials on the continent. In this episode of The COSAFA Show, we chat to COSAFA Executive Director Sue Destombes and COSAFA Referees Manager Felix Tangawarima about the way forward with VAR in the region.

Ashford Mamelodi is a leading administrator on the African continent who previously served as Secretary General at the Botswana Football Association and COSAFA. He was also a FIFA Development Officer for many years. He has a book coming out soon called Protecting the Game, where he delves into his 10 years at the BFA and the lessons learned and experience gained from that period of his life.We sat down to discuss his career, starting out with why he decided to write his book.