TRICKY COSAFA DRAW FOR SITSEBE

MBABANE – The senior national women’s team, Sitsebe, have been thrown into the lion’s den.
This follows yesterday’s tough Council of Southern Africa Football Associations (COSAFA) Women’s Championship draw in Johannesburg, South Africa.
The COSAFA Women’s Championships will be held in Gqeberha, South Africa, from October 22 to November 2, 2024. There are 14 nations competing this year, making it the biggest women’s international competition in Africa.

pairings

As per the pairings, Sitsebe will take on seven-time winners South Africa’s Banyana Banyana, 2006 runners-up Namibia and debutants Seychelles in Group A of the annual regional women’s football flagship tournament. COSAFA’s Competitions Manager Joshua Knipp, who conducted the draw alongside Banyana Banyana international player Refiloe Jane, explained that there were 14 teams that have confirmed their participation in the 2024 competition.Knipp said the teams would be split into four groups, with Group A and B having four teams each, while the other two have three clubs each.

progress

The winners of each group will progress to the semi-final stage. It is worth mentioning that the likes of South Africa, Malawi, Zambia and Mozambique were seeded based on their performances in the 2023 championship. Meanwhile, Sitsebe are the least ranked in the group, as they are at the 182nd position in the latest global charts. Topping the rankings in Group A are Banyana Banyana at 50. Namibia is ranked 124th, with rookies Seychelles positioned 170.Reacting on the draw, Sitsebe Assistant Coach Simephi Zulu, said she was not at liberty to comment as the right person was Bongani Makhukhula.

declined

On the other hand, Makhukhula declined to comment, until yesterday afternoon. It is worth mentioning that the local ladies are yet to progress to the knockout stage of the tournament. Sitsebe have been a prominent team in this competition for many years and their biggest win was a 4-0 against Angola, in 2019. Internationally, Sitsebe’s biggest defeat was at the hands of South Africa. They were beaten 14-0, back in 1993.

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