As we build up to the Hollywoodbets Cosafa Cup 2024 that will be staged in Gqeberha from June 26-July 7, we will be bringing you profiles of all 12 of the competing teams. Catch all the action live on SuperSport.
These are packed with history, statistics, head-to-head records and goalscorers down the years with the tournament now in its 23rd edition and continuing to add to the rich tapestry of Southern African football.
GROUP A
SOUTH AFRICA
South Africa are one of only two Cosafa member countries to have won the African Nations Cup title, doing so on home soil at their first attempt in 1996. Zambia joined them with their 2012 success.
South Africa were runners-up in Burkina Faso two years later and finished third at the 2000 Nations Cup tournament in Ghana and Nigeria.
Bafana Bafana have also qualified for three World Cups, competing in France in 1998 and Japan/South Korea in 2002. They also hosted the tournament in 2010.
They won the Afro-Asian Nations Cup, beating Asian champions Saudi Arabia over two legs in 1999, and also hold the distinction of being the only southern African country to provide a winner of an African club competition.
Orlando Pirates claimed the African Champions Cup in 1995, Kaizer Chiefs the African Cup Winners’ Cup in 2001 and Mamelodi Sundowns in the Champions League in 2016.
But despite all that success, South Africa reached the final of Cosafa Cup for the first time in 2002, winning the trophy with a 4-1 aggregate triumph over Malawi in the two legged final.
After more barren years, they claimed the back-to-back tournaments, beating old foes Zambia on penalties in the final in 2007, and running out victorious in 2008, despite fielding an unofficial ‘President’s XI’ line-up that included players mostly from the second tier of the country’s football.
They repeated that squad mix in Zimbabwe in 2009 but ended up finishing fourth after losing to Mozambique in the third-place playoff.
They went one better with a third-place finish in Zambia in 2013 but were disappointingly ousted by Botswana in the quarterfinals on home soil in 2015 and then lost in the Plate semifinals to Malawi.
They regained the title in Namibia in 2016, beating Botswana 3-2 in a thrilling final in Windhoek with a squad made up largely of players that would compete at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.
They had Plate Final wins in 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2022, but lifted the main Cup competition in 2021 by beating guest nation Senegal in the final.
MOZAMBIQUE
Mozambique were semifinalists in the 2004 Cosafa Cup tournaments, and then went one better in 2008 and 2015 when they lost in the final.
In 2004 they beat both Madagascar and Malawi in earlier round encounters before losing at home to Angola in the last four, while in 2009 they lost to Zambia in the semifinals but beat South Africa to third in Zimbabwe.
Those were their best performances since the Mambas finished third in 1997 and when they were fifth-place finishers in 1998.
Since the introduction of the knockout competition in 1999, they have reached the quarterfinals four times but had the misfortune of being drawn away to Zambia on each occasion and lost.
The side were ousted from the quarterfinals of the 2013 Cosafa Cup, but went on to win the Plate final, beating Angola 1-0 in the decider.
They lost both their matches at the 2016 tournament, a defeat to DR Congo in the quarterfinals before losing to hosts Namibia in the Plate semifinals.
They were ousted in the group stages between 2017 and 2019, but finished fourth in 2021, a feat they repeated in 2022, before again going out in the first round in 2023.
Mozambique are one of several Cosafa members who have represented the region at the African Nations Cup finals.
The Mambas reached the finals of the African Nations Cup in South Africa in 1996 and again in Burkina Faso in 1998.
They were also participants in 1986 African Nations Cup finals in Egypt, as well as the 2010 event in Angola.
ESWATINI
Eswatini have reached the semifinals of the Cosafa Cup on five occasions, proving their potential for upset results.
In 2003 Sihlangu reached the last four but then lost to eventual winners Zimbabwe.
In 2002 they were beaten in the semifinals by South Africa, who also went on to win the competition, and in 1999 they were also semifinalists but were narrowly defeat by Namibia on postmatch penalties after a 1-1 draw.
They also made the Last 4 in 2016, but were beaten 5-1 by South Africa, who went on to lift the trophy, while Eswatini beat DR Congo 1-0 to finish third.
The side were back in the semifinals in 2021 where they narrowly lost on penalties to west African guest nation Senegal, before going on to defeat Mozambique via spot-kicks in the bronze medal match.
They reached the quarterfinals in 2022 after topping their pool, but again drew with Senegal and were ousted in an epic penalty shoot-out that ended 10-9 in the favour of the west Africans.
Ironically before 1999, they had never won a game in the competition but are now always considered a threat in the Cosafa Cup.
But in 2004 Eswatini reached a competition low when they lost their quarterfinal tie at home to Zimbabwe by a then competition record score line of 5-0.
The match was not completed after a crowd riot brought the game to a premature halt.
In 2016 they topped a pool that also included Zimbabwe, Madagascar and Seychelles, then defeated Zambia on penalties in the quarterfinals.
They did have a couple more quarterfinal appearances in 2017 and 2018, but they failed to make it past that stage and in 2019 and 2023 were ousted in the first round.
Midfielder Felix Badenhorst is the record goalscorer in the Cosafa Cup with nine goals, one more than the great Zimbabwean Peter Ndlovu and compatriot Sabelo Ndzinisa.
BOTSWANA
Botswana have showed a marked improvement in international competition over the last few years, using Cosafa tournaments as the basis of their preparation and progress.
They made the Cosafa Cup final in 2019, running eventual champions Zambia close as they lost 1-0, but in many ways, it was a breakthrough for the country's football and a sign of better days ahead.
It was a second final appearance in four years. It took almost a decade of competition before the Zebras the latter stages of the competition, but the side reached the semifinals of the Cosafa Cup in 2006 and repeated the feat the next year.
Their achievement in 2006 came after they beat South Africa on post-match penalties and the next year there was another upset triumph, this time over World Cup finalists Angola.
It was in 2003 that Botswana finally ended their search for the ‘Holy Grail’ when their seven-year run without a win in the Cosafa Cup was broken.
They had long been the only country of the original entrants to the tournament never to win a game.
An early goal from Tshepiso Molwantwa in their first round match away against Namibia in Windhoek finally broke the duck.
The side exited the 2013 finals at the group stage despite being unbeaten in their three matches, which included a fine 2-1 success over guest nation Kenya.
Striker Jerome Ramatlhakwane scored four goals in that tournament, but the country’s leading scorer in the competition is Onkabetse Makgantai with six goals.
They reached the semifinals in 2015 thanks to a penalty shoot-out victory over South Africa, but ended up fourth in the competition after a 2-1 loss to Madagascar in the bronze medal match.
A year later and they made the final in Namibia, but lost 3-2 to South Africa and had to settle for silver.
They finished in the group stages in 2021, and reached the quarterfinals in 2022, but lost on penalties to eventual winners Zambia, and to South Africa in the Plate final. They went out in the pool stages in 2023.
GROUP B
Zambia
TBC
Kenya
Kenya have been to the COSAFA Cup once before, making their debut in the 2013 competition that was held in Zambia. They exited in the first round on that occasion, but showed enough quality to suggest they will be a real force to be reckoned with this time round too.
They opened with a 2-2 draw against Lesotho 11 years ago, before they beat Eswatini 2-0 in a game that was played the following day. But their hopes of a place in the knockout rounds were dashed when they fell to a 2-1 loss to Botswana.
They will face a new set of teams in this year’s finals having been drawn in Group B along with record seven-time winners Zambia, who have lifted the trophy in the last two years, Zimbabwe and the Comoros Islands. The East African side have been to the Africa Cup of nations finals on six previous occasions, the last in 2019.
They have, unfortunately, exited in the pool stages on each occasion, with two wins in 17 Cup of Nations finals matches to their name. Those victories came in 2004 against Burkina Faso (3-1) and 2019 versus regional rivals Tanzania, when they won 3-2 as they twice came from behind.
Kenya has long produced a steady stream of fine football, with the most recent examples being Victor Wanyama, who played for Southampton and Tottenham Hotspur in England, and most recently Montreal Impact in Major League Soccer.
Kenya have won their only regional CECAFA tournament in its current form on seven occasions, the last in 2017, and been runners-up a further seven times. They are currently competing in the 2026 Fifa World Cup qualifiers.
Comoros
The Comoros collected their first ever win in the COSAFA Cup after victory over Seychelles in the 2009 tournament in Zimbabwe, their second appearance at the regional showpiece. They performed admirably in that event, also securing a draw against Botswana, but a 3-0 loss to Eswatini meant they bowed out in the first round.
It was an improvement on their first showing in 2008 when they lost all three games without scoring a goal. They did not compete between 2013 and 2017. The team returned for the 2018 COSAFA Cup and although they took only one point from their three games, it was an improved showing.
The side drew 1-1 with Seychelles, before a 3-0 loss to Mozambique and a 1-0 reversal at the hands of Madagascar. That would be the catalyst for a first ever knockout appearance in 2019 as they topped their three-team pool following the withdrawal of Angola after a win against Mauritius (2-1) and a draw with Eswatini (2-2).
That set up a quarterfinal with a powerful Zimbabwe side where they lost 2-0, before a defeat at the hands of Malawi in the Plate semifinals. They were forced to withdraw from the 2021 tournament that was held in Gqeberha, and suffered first round exits in 2022 and 2023.
The steady improvement of the side has been perfectly illustrated in their qualification for the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon, the first time they appeared at the showpiece continental event. They beat Ghana in the group stages but lost to the hosts in the round of 16.
ZIMBABWE
TBC
GROUP C
ANGOLA
Angola have won the Cosafa Cup on three occasions but were the first team to reach that mark and so were awarded the original trophy on a permanent basis as recognition of their feat.
They have not managed to add to their tally since and are behind all-time leading winners Zimbabwe (six titles), Zambia (five) and Zimbabwe and South Africa (five).
They also became only the second COSAFA member after South Africa to qualify for the Fifa World Cup finals, representing Africa at the 2006 event in Germany.
‘Palancas Negras’ first won the regional trophy in 1999, when the Cosafa Cup was played as a knockout tournament for the first time.
They beat Namibia 2-1 on aggregate in the final over two legs and then repeated the feat in 2001 when they overcame Zimbabwe.
In 2004 they got to keep the trophy after beating Zambia in the final in Lusaka, winning 54 on penalties after a goalless draw.
On all three occasions, Angola had to achieve their success away from home.
The second leg of the 1999 final was played in Windhoek and Angola forced a 1-1 draw to take the title while in 2001 they scored a late winner in Harare to overcome Zimbabwe 1-0 on aggregate after a gritty battle in the final.
Angola are unbeaten at home in theCosafa Cup, where they have played seven times in comparison to 36 assignments on the road.
They did not enter the first Cosafa Cup tournament in 1997 but have certainly since imposed their presence since.
They entered their national Under-20 team into the COSAFA Cup in 2008, 2009 and 2016, so as not to significantly disrupt their domestic League season.
They did not participate in the 2015 tournament in South Africa, and also failed to appear in 2019 and 2021, before first round exits in 2022 and 2023.
NAMIBIA
Namibian football has largely remained competitive in the last few decades, from the heady heights attained in 1997 and 1999 when they were Cosafa Cup runners-up, and in 1998 and 2008 when they shocked African football by reaching the African Nations Cup finals.
They finally did win the regional crown in 2015 as coach Ricardo Mannetti's side made a thrilling run to the Finland were worthy winners.
They played six games in all, building momentum along the way before being crowned champions after beating Mozambique 2-0 in the final.
They had hoped to win back-to-back titles in 2016, but lost in the quarterfinals to Botswana on penalties after a 1-1 draw.
They did, however, go on to claim the Plate competition as they defeated Zambia 1-0 in the final.
The Brave Warriors reached the Plate final again the following year but this time lost 1-0 to South Africa, and then were beaten heavily 4-1 by the same opposition in the Plate semifinals in 2018.
They started in the group stages in 2019, but could not advance to the quarterfinals despite winning two of their three pool games, which is usually enough.
In 2022 they entered in the quarterfinals and reached the decider again, but lost 1-0 to Zambia after extra-time, and in 2023 went out in the pool stages.
In 2008, Namibia broke a run of seven first round exits in the Cosafa Cup – when they lost to Zimbabwe, Mauritius, Eswatini, Angola and Botswana three times – as they progressed to the quarterfinals before losing out to a South African President’s XI.
They also managed to claim their first away win in the competition in 2007 when they beat Lesotho to third place in the group stages in Gaborone. They followed that up in 2008 with away wins against the Comoros Islands and Malawi.
The Brave Warriors were the surprise package of the 1997 edition, finishing second to winners Zambia and in 1998 caused a major upset by knocking out World Cup finalists South Africa at the preliminary round stage.
In 1999, they were again in the final, and narrowly lost to Angola in extra-time in the second leg in Windhoek.
LESOTHO
Lesotho have now twice previously been runners-up in the Cosafa Cup, reaching the final in 2000 when they lost convincingly 6-0 on aggregate to Zimbabwe, and then losing to Zambia in 2023.
The progress of Likuena to the deciding tie 24 years ago shook up the competition and proved that the playing fields of southern Africa had been levelled by the so-called minnows of the region.
Beaten by Zambia and Mozambique in 2001 and 2002 respectively, they lost on post-match penalties to the Mozambicans in 2003 and Botswana in 2004, when they were beaten 11-10 by The Zebras in an incredible shootout in Maseru.
In 2006 they drew with Mozambique and then won on penalties, but lost their group final at home to Angola The poor run continued in 2007 as they lost to Angola and Namibia, but they did at least put up a good showing in 2008 when they beat the Comoros, their first win in the competition outside of Lesotho, and drew with Namibia.
However their 1-0 loss to Malawi meant they did not progress to the quarterfinals. They were ousted in the first round on goal-difference in 2009, despite a win and a draw in their two matches.
But fortunes improved in 2013 when they finished fourth in the competition, advancing through the pool stages before losing in the semifinals to Zimbabwe and then being beaten to bronze by South Africa.
The side were knocked out in the first round in South Africa in 2015, defeating Tanzania in their pool but losing to Madagascar and Swaziland.
But then they found their form in Namibia a year later when they stormed through the pool stages, getting wins over Mauritius, Angola and Malawi, before losing to South Africa on penalties in the quarterfinals after a 1-1 draw.
Lesotho reached the semifinals of the competitions in 2017, 2018 and 2019, but narrowly lost on each occasion, before they were successful in 2023.
They beat Malawi on penalties in the semifinals, before losing 1-0 to Zambia in the decider to take the silver medal again.
SEYCHELLES
The Seychelles competed in the Cosafa Cup for the first time in 2005 when they played in the mini tournament in Mauritius but were beaten 3-0 by South Africa on a pondlike pitch in Curepipe.
The island nation, who were granted membership of Cosafa in 1999, had been excluded from previous editions of the competition because of their failure to send a team to all of Cosafa’s youth tournaments, which was prerequisite for participation in the Cosafa Cup.
After a disappointing showing in 2006 and 2007, they won their first-ever match in the competition as they hammered Mauritius 7-0, in no small part thanks to four goals from Philip Zialor, the only player to score four times in a Cosafa Cup match. It also remains the largest victory in the history of the Cosafa Cup.
However, a draw against Madagascar and a defeat to Swaziland meant they failed to make the quarterfinals. They lost all three of their matches in the 2009 event to Swaziland, Comoros and Botswana, and were also ousted from the 2013 event after a pair of defeats to Namibia and Mauritius.
The side put up a spirited showing in 2015, earning a 0-0 draw with eventual champions Namibia, but losing matches to Zimbabwe and Mauritius.
They could not build on that in 2016, losing all three of their games, and that pattern continued for the next three competitions. They did not compete in 2021 but exited in the first round in 2022 and 2023.