2023 COSAFA Cup

The 2023 COSAFA Cup is the 22nd edition of the annual association football competition organized by COSAFA. It was held in South Africa for the sixth straight year, this time in Durban, from 5 to 16 July 2023.[1] Zambia are the defending champions.[2]

2023 COSAFA Cup
Tournament details
Host countrySouth Africa
CityDurban
Dates5–16 July 2023
Teams12 (from 1 confederation)
Venue(s)3 (in 3 host cities)
Final positions
Champions Zambia (7th title)
Runners-up Lesotho
Third place South Africa
Fourth place Malawi
Tournament statistics
Matches played22
Goals scored48 (2.18 per match)
Top scorer(s)South Africa Tshegofatso Mabasa
Zambia Albert Kangwanda
(3 goals each)

Participating nations
National team FIFA Ranking (31 March 2023)[3] Best Performance
 Eswatini144 Semi-finals (1999, 2002, 2003, 2021)
 Mauritius180 Quarter-finals (2001, 2004)
 Comoros 131 Group stage
 Lesotho150 Runners-up (2000)
 Botswana152 Runners-up (2016, 2019)
 Malawi127 Runners-up (2002, 2003)
 Zambia86 Champions (1997, 1998, 2006, 2013, 2019, 2022)
 Mozambique119 Runners-up (2008, 2015)
 Namibia106 Champions (2015)
 South Africa66 Champions (2002, 2007, 2008, 2016, 2021)
 Angola118 Champions (1999, 2001, 2004)
 Seychelles197 Group stage

Format

For the first time, all participants will enter the Group Stage for three groups of four nations. The winners of each group and best runner-up will advance to the knockout stages. The new format guarantees between three and five matches for each team. No plate competitions will be held in this edition of the tournament.[4]

Venues
Umlazi KwaMashu Durban
King Zwelithini Stadium Princess Magogo Stadium Chatsworth Stadium Moses Mabhida Stadium
Capacity: 10,000 Capacity: 12,000 Capacity: 22,000 Capacity: 85,000

Draw

The draw for the group stage of the 2023 COSAFA Cup was held on 26 May 2023 in Johannesburg.[1]

Group stage

Group stage matches will be played between 5–12 July 2023.[4]

Group A
Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1  South Africa 3 2 1 0 5 3 +2 7 Advance to knockout stage
2  Botswana 3 1 1 1 2 2 0 4
3  Eswatini 3 1 0 2 3 4 −1 3
4  Namibia 3 0 2 1 2 3 −1 2
Source: COSAFA
Rules for classification: Group stage tiebreakers
Eswatini 0–1 Botswana
Report
  • Ditsele 23'
South Africa 1–1 Namibia
 Report
South Africa 2–1 Botswana
 Report
Namibia 1–2 Eswatini
 Report
  • Matse 41'
  • Matsebula 44'
Namibia 0–0 Botswana
Report
South Africa 2–1 Eswatini
 Report
  • Matsebula 51'

Group B
Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1  Malawi 3 3 0 0 5 0 +5 9 Advance to knockout stage
2  Zambia 3 2 0 1 6 4 +2 6 Advance to knockout stage based on ranking
3  Comoros 3 1 0 2 4 4 0 3
4  Seychelles 3 0 0 3 2 9 −7 0
Source: COSAFA
Rules for classification: Group stage tiebreakers
Seychelles 0–3 Comoros
Report
Zambia 0–1 Malawi
Report
Zambia 2–1 Comoros
  • Mulambia 51'
  • Kangwanda 74'
 Report
Malawi 2–0 Seychelles
  • Nkhoma 55'
  • Jacama Kumwembe 65'
 Report
Malawi 2–0 Comoros
  • Kaonga 30' (pen.)
  • Mwaungulu 36'
 Report
Seychelles 2–4 Zambia
 Report
  • Kangwanda 11'
  • Kanguluma 54'
  • Mashata 58'
  • Mulambia 73'

Group C
Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1  Lesotho 3 2 0 1 5 4 +1 6 Advance to knockout stage
2  Angola 3 1 1 1 5 4 +1 4
3  Mozambique 3 1 1 1 2 2 0 4
4  Mauritius 3 1 0 2 1 3 −2 3
Source: COSAFA
Rules for classification: Group stage tiebreakers
Mauritius 0–2 Lesotho
Report
  • Mokhachane 15'
  • Sera 90+2'
Mozambique 1–1 Angola
 Report
  • Benarfa 3'
Angola 0–1 Mauritius
Report
  • François 8'
Mozambique 0–1 Lesotho
Report
  • Mokhachane 34'
Angola 4–2 Lesotho
  • Cangue 20'
  • Amor 29'
  • Goncalves 50'
  • Moseka 88'
 Report
  • Makha 3'
  • Mokokoane 44'
Mauritius 0–1 Mozambique
Report
  • Abudo 38'

Best Runner-up Table
Pos Grp Team Pld W T L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1 B  Zambia 3 2 0 1 6 4 +2 6 Advance to knockout stage
2 C  Angola 3 1 1 1 5 4 +1 4
3 A  Botswana 3 1 1 1 2 2 0 4
Source: COSAFA
Rules for classification: Group stage tiebreakers


Knockout stage

Semi-final matches where played on the 14 July 2023. The final and third-place matches where played two days later at the King Zwelithini Stadium.[4]

Bracket
 
Semi-FinalsFinal
 
      
 
14 Jul – Durban
 
 
 Malawi1(0)
 
16 Jul – Durban
 
 Lesotho (p)1(3)
 
 Lesotho0
 
14 Jul – Durban
 
 Zambia1
 
 South Africa1
 
 
 Zambia2
 
Third-Place
 
 
16 Jul - Durban
 
 
 Malawi0(3)
 
 
 South Africa(p)0(5)

Semi-finals
Malawi 1–1 Lesotho
Kaonga 26' (pen.) Report Thaba-Ntso 18'
Penalties
0–3
South Africa 1–2 Zambia
Mabasa 44' Report
  • Mashata 50'
  • Kangwanda 69'

Third-place
Malawi 0–0 South Africa
Report
Penalties
3–5

Final
Lesotho 0–1 Zambia
Report
  • Libamba 78'

Statistics

Goalscorers

There were 48 goals scored in 22 matches, for an average of 2.18 goals per match.

3 goals

2 goals

  • Comoros Affane Djambae
  • Eswatini Bongwa Matsebula
  • Lesotho Neo Mokhachane
  • Malawi Chawanangwa Kaonga
  • Zambia Golden Mashata
  • Zambia Fredrick Mulambia

1 goal

1 own goal

References
  1. "Tough groups in draw for 2023 Cosafa Cup". The Namibian. Retrieved 2 June 2023.
  2. "Defending Champions Zambia Know Their 2023 COSAFA Cup Opponents". Lusaka Times. Retrieved 2 June 2023.
  3. "The FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking - Ranking Table". FIFA.com. Archived from the original on 12 April 2016. Retrieved 23 May 2022.
  4. "Seychelles to face defending champions Zambia". nation.sc. Retrieved 2 June 2023.
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