The 13th edition of the Hollywoodbets Cosafa Women’s Championship got underway in emphatic fashion at the Old Peter Mokaba Stadium, with early victories for tournament heavyweights and strong statements from coaches already focused on the bigger picture.
Group A: Angola Impress, Hosts South Africa Focused on Bigger Goals
The tournament curtain-raiser saw Angola overcome Lesotho in the 12h00 opener, with Arminda Lopes delivering a standout performance to claim Player of the Match honours and guide her side to a winning start.
Hosts South Africa's women's national football team followed with a victory over Malawi in the 15h00 fixture, delighting the home supporters despite what head coach Desiree Ellis described as a performance still in progress.
“It’s all about Wafcon for us more than anything. It’s important that we got a victory, [even though] we never played as well as we could, but considering where we are in the season, nobody in the league has started playing, the pre-season has only started a couple weeks ago for some,” said Ellis.
For Banyana Banyana, the three points were vital as they continue building toward continental ambitions, with Nthabiseng Majiya earning Player of the Match recognition for her decisive display.
Group B: Zimbabwe and Zambia Take Control
Day two belonged to group B, beginning with Zimbabwe’s 3-1 triumph over Eswatini. Christabel Katona was instrumental in the win and walked away with the Player of the Match award.
Head Coach Sithethelelwe Sibanda was pleased with the outcome, particularly given her team’s recent return from the off-season.
“At the end of the day, getting three points is a positive, and it was a good game [though it was a] tough one, but I am happy that we managed to become victorious at the end of the day. It’s only game No 1, there was a lot of positives that we saw, and again, a lot of other things that we really need to address going into the second match. For me, getting three points against a team that has been active when we just came back from the holidays, it’s a positive for the team.”
DAY 3 of WRAP UP 🙏🔥🏆
— COSAFA (@COSAFAMEDIA) February 20, 2026
Eventful and exhilarating football experiences at the Old Peter Mokaba Stadium.
We hope to see you tomorrow at 📍Seshego Stadium for more action packed football matches. #CWC2025 #Hollywoodbets #HollywoodbetsCWC2025 pic.twitter.com/3tPTNmaapL
The afternoon clash saw the Zambia women's national football team assert their dominance with a 3-0 win over Botswana. Eneless Phiri’s commanding performance earned her the Player of the Match award.
Zambia assistant coach Charles Haalubono highlighted the importance of starting strong:
“The first thing we planned in this game was to get maximum points, so that we are in control of the group and it has worked to our advantage because we have managed to win. Secondly, the team has performed well, we are happy with the results and how they played.”
Botswana head coach Gaoletlhoo Nkutlwisang admitted her side were punished for costly mistakes:
“We came here and knew very well that Zambia has been training very hard because they are preparing for Wafcon. I think we gave away the balls [easily] and looking at the goals that were scored by the Zambians, they were giveaways.”
Group C: Namibia Make Their Move
With only three teams in group C, day three featured a single fixture as Mozambique faced the Namibia women's national football team.
Namibia secured a confident 2-0 victory, with veteran Millicent Hikuam earning Player of the Match honours after a composed and influential display.
Head Coach Lesely Kavuka praised her side’s execution of the game plan:
“We have set a very clear goal and our goal was to win this match. We set up a very clear game model and based on how the girls played, our patterns came out very strong, and I think there was no chance for Mozambique on the day. I think we could’ve scored more goals, the chances were there, we really played good football, and I am proud of the girls.”
Round 1️⃣ of the 13th @Hollywoodbets COSAFA Women’s Championship is complete ✔️
— Basadi in Action Sports (@BasadiAction) February 20, 2026
Angola and South Africa lead Group A
⁰Zambia and Zimbabwe take early control in Group B
⁰Namibia shine in Group C
Full results, POTM and Round 2️⃣ fixtures here 👉🏾 https://t.co/0g9F0vHqYI
#CWC2025 pic.twitter.com/4YIzQRe7X5
Round Two Fixtures Shift to Seshego Stadium
The attention now turns to Seshego Stadium for round two of the competition. Entry to the stadium is free for supporters, and all matches will be streamed live on the Cosafa YouTube Channel as well as Fifa Plus.
21 February – Seshego Stadium
12h30: South Africa v Angola
15h30: Malawi v Lesotho
22 February – Seshego Stadium
12h00: Botswana v Eswatini
15h00: Zambia v Zimbabwe
23 February – Seshego Stadium
15h00: Namibia v Madagascar