The COSAFA Show

In the latest episode of The COSAFA Show we chat to Leah Sweetness Masango, leader of COSAFA's vital Technical Study Group at the organisation's tournaments. COSAFA held a workshop for aspiring Technical Study Group members from across the Southern African region last week, and she fills us in on the details around that.There were coaches, former players, technical directors and other stakeholders all present as a range of subjects were discussed.Masango also tells us about her exciting future, which includes being selected as one of just two coaches from the African continent for a prestigious FIFA programme.She has already been to Brazil and will be travelling to various other countries around the world as she builds her knowledge to bring back to the Southern African region.

In our latest episode of the COSAFA Show we have Part 2 of the extensive views of newly re-elected CAF President Dr Patrice Motsepe, who hails from the COSAFA region. Dr Motsepe will enter a second term at the helm of the game on the continent having been re-elected unopposed following successful first term in which great strides were made women's and youth football, modernizing refereeing on the continent and several other spheres.CAF has improved its commercial outlook which has led to increased prizemoney in its competitions across the board.In Part 2 of this discussion with journalists, Dr Motsepe talks about the progress made in his first term, and how he plans to shape the future of the game on the continent in the coming years.

In our latest episode of the COSAFA Show, which is actually a two-parter, we get the extensive views of newly re-elected CAF President Dr Patrice Motsepe, who hails from the COSAFA region. Dr Motsepe will enter a second term at the helm of the game on the continent having been re-elected unopposed following successful first term in which great strides were made women's and youth football, modernizing refereeing on the continent and several other spheres.CAF has improved its commercial outlook which has led to increased prizemoney in its competitions across the board. In Part 1 of this discussion with journalists, Dr Motsepe talks about the progress made in his first term, improving women's football and making the African globally competitive. We will have Part 2 next week.

In this edition of The COSAFA Show we delve into all things Lesotho football to understand the successes and challenges of the Beautiful Game in the equally beautiful Mountain Kingdom.We chat to Lesotho Football Association General Secretary Mokhosi Mohapi, who has overseen significant gains for the country on and off the pitch but also admits there is much work still to do. This in-depth interviews covers areas such as the senior national teams, women's football, junior set-ups, the local league, referees and much, much more in order to get a solid understanding of the current state of Lesotho football, but also what the future holds.

A record seven COSAFA nations have qualified for the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations, Morocco 2025 and all learned their fate with the draw that was held in Rabat this week.The 24-team tournament will be staged from 21 December, 2025 to 18 January 2026 and will be a celebration of elite African football in six host cities and nine stadia.Three COSAFA sides - South Africa, Angola and Zimbabwe have been drawn in the same pool at the finals, while Zambia and Comoros have also been paired together, alma with hosts Morocco and Mali. Botswana return for a second ever finals following their first in 2012, while Mozambique are also back at the finals.There is no doubt the COSAFA Cup to be staged in mid-year will have extra spice this season as coaches look at their various options. We speak to coaches from all seven teams to get their reactions to the draw.

In this latest episode of The COSAFA Show we speak to Executive Director Sue Destombes as we reflect on a bumper 2024 for the organisation, and look ahead to what may be in store in 2025. COSAFA held an unprecedented nine tournaments last year, five of them for women, despite a challenging environment and external factors that were outside of the organisation's control. The rewards of this long-term development of men's and women's football at all age-group levels can be seen in a record seven COSAFA sides qualifying for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco later this year, and the continued improvement of out women's team.Destombes outlines the highlights of 2024, on and off the pitch, and the ambitious plans of COSAFA for 2025.

Our final episode of The COSAFA Show for 2024 marks an incredible year for the region that included a record nine competitions staged across various age-groups and also a record seven nations qualifying for the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations | Morocco 2025. The incredible work and dedication from the entire COSAFA team to boost the growth and development of football in the region is bearing fruit, and the proof is in the results produced on the field of play.In this episode we chat to Comoros coach Stefano Cusin after he led the Indian Ocean Island to the continental finals in Morocco that start in a little under a year. They continue to punch well above their weight.We also hear from Barbra Banda, another great COSAFA success story, after she was named Women's Player of the Year at the recent CAF Awards. South Africa captain Ronwen Williams collected the CAF Interclub Player of the Year and Goalkeeper of the Year at the same ceremony and he also shares his reaction to those two accolades. Finally, we get the thoughts of Zambia coach Ian Bakala after he led his side to victory at the TotalEnergies CAF Under-17 Africa Cup of Nations | COSAFA Qualifier and, along with Angola, qualified for the continental finals in Morocco next year.

In our latest episode of The COSAFA Show we reflect on a record seven Southern African nations that have qualified for the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2025. Angola, Botswana, Comoros, Mozambique, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe will all be at the finals that are still some way off and start on December 18, 2025.We will hear from two coaches who have achieved what many did not think was possible with their sides, starting with Morena Ramoreboli, who has taken Botswana to just a second ever visit to the continental showpiece event.It is a major achievement for the nation, who will make their first appearance on the big stage since 2012.German coach Michael Nees is new in the job with Zimbabwe, but already has them back at the AFCON after a solid qualification campaign from the Warriors.We will also hear from him as he details his roadmap to success and the changes he has made with the side. You can listen to more of our podcasts on our YouTube channel, Spotify and iTunes, and you get also get the latest news via our website at www.cosafa.com, and on X, Facebook, Instagram and TikTok.

In our latest episode of The COSAFA Show as we discuss all things women's football in the COSAFA region and look ahead to the HOLLYWOODBETS COSAFA Women's Championship final that will be played in Gqeberha on Saturday.Zambia will take on seven-time winners South Africa in the decider that promises to be a close-fought affair between two sides who have shown their tactical acumen in the tournament so far.But first we hear from Dr Brenda Kunda, who is a COSAFA Executive Committee member and an expert on women's football in the Southern African region and the continent as a whole.She gives her insight into what is happening in the women's game, which is growing at pace, not least thanks to four tournaments that will be hosted by COSAFA this year – the COSAFA Women's Championship, CAF Women's Champions League qualifier, and Women's U20 and U17 tournaments. We also hear from Zambia coach Florence Mwila following her side's 2-0 victory over defending champions Malawi in the COSAFA Women's Championship as she looks ahead to the final. And we also get the views of South Africa coach Maude Khumalo to the penalty shootout victory over Mozambique in the semi-finals.

In our latest episode of The COSAFA Show we discuss the recent HOLLYWOODBETS COSAFA Women's Championship draw with South Africa midfielder Refiloe Jane. We also hear from Zambia assistant coach Florence Mwila, who will be leading the Copper Queens side in Gqeberha this year.Mark Fish was a superb player in his day and was part of South Africa's Golden Generation that won the 1996 Africa Cup of Nations. He also had a long career in Europe and is now set on making his name off the pitch with a new career path, which he tells us about in this in-depth interview.Finally, we speak to Senanile Dlamini, who has been conducting research for CAF into the fitness and nutrition of players at the recent TotalEnergies CAF Under-20 Africa Cup of Nations | COSAFA Qualifier in Mozambique. She will tell us more about the programme she has been working on.

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.

Among the coaches at the COSAFA Beach Soccer Championships will be Brazilian Guga Zloccowick, who takes charge of Saudi Arabia. The Middle East nation are the first ever non-African team to compete at a COSAFA event and Zloccowick talks to us about the tournament, growing the game in Saudi Arabia and much more in a fascinating interview for The COSAFA Show.

In our latest episode of The COSAFA Show we look ahead to the COSAFA Beach Soccer Championships in Durban next month, as well as the third round of African women's Olympic qualifiers. Featuring Des Ellis, Thelma Smidt. Racheal Kundananji, Babra Banda and Joshua Knipp.

In our latest episode of The COSAFA Show as we look back on a superb first week for most of our Southern African sides at the Africa Cup of Nations in the Ivory Coast. Namibia beat the odds to defeat Tunisia, Mozambique drew with powerhouse Egypt, Angola held Algeria and Zambia played to a 1-1 draw with fancied DR Congo. Only South Africa have some work to do after they slipped to a 2-0 defeat to Mali. We will hear from several coaches and players.

The Africa Cup of Nations finals in the Ivory Coast get under way on Saturday and there will be five teams from the COSAFA region participating. We speak to a number of them ahead of their title challenge.

In this episode we hear from COSAFA Referees Manager Felix Tangawarima on the next generation of match officials in the region and get the views of COSAFA Executive Director Sue Destombes on the African Schools Football Championship qualifiers, as well as the exciting, proposed plan for the organisation's tournament calendar in 2024.

The first two rounds of 2026 World Cup qualifiers threw up some surprise results, with great wins and disappointing defeats for our 14 competing teams from the COSAFA region. Here to talk us through the pools is African football guru Mark Gleeson, who is respected across the continent for his views on the game.

In our latest episode of The COSAFA Show, we have an exclusive interview with Namibia national team coach Collin Benjamin about the past, present and future for the Brave Warriors.

In this special episode of The COSAFA Show we speak to Dr Nonhlanhla Mkumbuzi, who is leading a research project in conjunction with FIFA and COSAFA that aims to collect data on African female footballers and their health.

We look ahead to a weekend of African Champions League and Confederation Cup matches involving teams from the COSAFA region and also take a look back at the recently completed Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, where five teams from Southern Africa booked their place in the finals in Ivory Coast early next year.

In this episode, we hear from three coaches as they prepare for the CAF Women's Champions League | COSAFA qualifiers 2023 – James Sangala of Ntopwa Super Queens, Carol Kanyemba of defending champions Green Buffaloes and Young Buffaloes tactician Fisiwe Hlophe.

In this episode of The COSAFA Show we look back at a successful 2023 Women's World Cup for African teams, not least our very own South Africa and Zambia. We will hear from Banyana Banyana forward Thembi Kgatlana and midfielder Linda Motlhalo, as well as coach Des Ellis. We also get the view of Copper Queens coach Bruce Mwape about their campaign.

In this episode of The COSAFA Show we highlight a fantastic new partnership between COSAFA and International Soccer Science & Performance Federation that will allow coaches at all levels in the region to further their knowledge. We will hear from victorious Zambia tactician Moses Sichone as he shares his thoughts on winning the recent HOLLYWOODBETS COSAFA Cup, and get the views of beaten coach Leslie Notsi, who took Lesotho oh so close to their maiden title.

In this episode we hear from COSAFA Referees Manager Felix Tangawarima on the latest from the world of match officials, and also catch up with Dr Thulani Ngwenya on the excellent work he is doing in training medical personnel. We also have an interview with COSAFA Executive Director Sue Destombes.

In this episode we chat to Botswana coach Mogomotsi Mpote about their upcoming clash with Libya, but also his team's participation in the 2023 HOLLYWOODBETS COSAFA Cup. We also hear from Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos.

South African Football Association President Dr Danny Jordaan is on a mission to bring the FIFA Women's World Cup to Africa for the first time in 2027 and will step up that bid this week when he travels to Cairo to engage CAF. Part 2 of our exclusive interview!

In this episode of The COSAFA Show we have an exclusive interview with Banyana Banyana head coach Desiree Ellis ahead of the FIFA Women's World Cup in Australia and New Zealand that starts on July 20.

We have Part 1 of an exclusive interview with SAFA President Dr Danny Jordaan as he discusses Bafana Bafana and their journey under coach Hugo Broos. We also hear from Lucas Radebe, Asamoah Gyan and Clarence Seedorf on the importance of schools football.

In this episode we have an exclusive interview with Zambia coach Avram Grant, and also hear from, Namibia boss Collin Benjamin following their fantastic Africa Cup of Nations qualifier win against Cameroon.

In this special episode of The COSAFA Show we have an exclusive interview with Angola coach Pedro Goncalves on what is lining up to be a crucial period for Palancas Negras with 2026 World Cup qualification very much on the agenda.

In this episode of The COSAFA Show we chat to Leah Sweetness Masango, a coach who is one of the driving forces behind the Technical Study Groups (TSG) that work at COSAFA tournaments. She gives us a fascinating insight into the job they do and the role they play in advancing football in the region. There is a lot more to it than just analysing formations and patterns of play!

In this special episode of The COSAFA Show we speak to our Competitions Manager Joshua Knipp about the upcoming tournaments that have been penciled in for the 2023 COSAFA calendar.

In this final episode of The COSAFA Show for 2022, we discuss the COSAFA Women's Leadership Programme (CWLP) and salute the work being done to assist women to rise in football across the region. We speak to COSAFA General Secretary Sue Destombes about this year's programme and the future, as well as overall CWLP winner Alessia Moonesawmy from Mauritius about her experience and what may lie ahead in 2023.

The World Cup in Qatar is almost at an end and it has been a momentous tournament for Africa. Who better to sit and assess the tournament for the continent than our very own Mark Gleeson, who gives his views on the five African teams, the competition as a whole and what it means for the continent going forward. In this week's show we also wrap up the recent TotalEnergies U17 AFCON Algeria 2023 | COSAFA Qualifier andCOSAFA Girls' Under-17 Championship that were both played as part of the Region 5 Games Lilongwe 2022.

We have a special exclusive interview with Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies coach Jerry Tshabalala ahead of their African Women's Champions League final against hosts AS FAR in Rabat on Sunday.

In this episode we speak to COSAFA General Secretary Sue Destombes about the CAF African Schools Championship being staged in Malawi, hear from renowned development coach Farouk Khan and get the views of Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies coach Jerry Tshabalala ahead of the defence of their CAF Women's Champions League title in Morocco.

In this episode we speak to coach Dario Monteiro from defending champions Mozambique ahead of the TotalEnergies AFCON U20 Egypt 2023 | COSAFA Qualifier in Eswatini, as well as the coach of the hosts Mduduzi Nxumalo.

In our 50th episode of The COSAFA Show we chat to Eswatini Football Association President Peter Simelane and Zunaid Mall, who is technical director for the Mauritius Football Association.

In this episode we speak to Zambia star Ireen Lungu about the improvement in women's football in that country, and also chat to veteran administrator Natasha Tsichlas about the women's game in the region.

In this special episode of The COSAFA Show, we sit down with three figures from women's football in South Africa, Zambia and Botswana to hear their stories and the growth in the game in those countries that led to their excellent performances at the recent 2022 Women's Africa Cup of Nations.

A bumper episode in which we hear from coaches at the HOLLYWOODBETS COSAFA Cup 2022, get the thoughts of Cavin Johnson, who was part of the Technical Study Group at the competition, learn all about the Fast Footie concept, get the latest on COVID-19 and tournaments, and hear from Ashford Mamelodi on his recent administration workshop in Durban.

In this episode we have a fascinating discussion with COSAFA Referees Manager Felix Tangawarima, who is a leading expert on match officials on the continent. We also hear what Durban has in store for the HOLLYWOODBETS COSAFA CUP 2022, and get the inside track from the Zambia camp on the 2022 Women's Africa Cup of Nations.