Cosafa @ 20: Warriors boast of proud record
Zimbabwe to two Cosafa Castle Cup successes in 2003 and 2009.
His younger brother Misheck had opened Zimbabwe’s account when guiding them to a comprehensive 6-0 aggregate victory over Lesotho in 2000 while Charles Mhlauri made it title number three for the Warriors in 2005. Zimbabwe have more wins in their Cosafa Castle Cup history than any other country and together with Zambia they have played the highest number of matches — 48 — each.
The Warriors still retain the record of being the tournament’s highest scorers with 79 goals.
Angola became the first team with to bag a hat-trick of titles and were given the first Cosafa trophy after their 2004 triumph over Zambia.
Chipolopolo became the first nation to win back-toback titles in 1997 and 1998 while South Africa’s Bafana Bafana followed suit in 2007 and 2008.
As the Warriors return to the Cosafa Castle Cup trenches in Rustenberg next month, Zifa president Philip Chiyangwa has challenged the senior team to do better than their showing in the last two editions.
Chiyangwa, now the Cosafa president, believes it would be a huge embarrassment for the Warriors to bow down at the preliminary round stage for the third successive time.
“This competition started 20 years ago and it is still here today, growing bigger and bigger," said Chiyangwa in a statement on the Cosafa website.
“It is our flagship tournament and we are delighted that our partners Castle Lager have been sponsors for 15 of those years.
“Castle Lager has truly stood the test of time in terms of football development in the Southern African region."
The referee in that opening fixture was Zimbabwe’s Felix Tangawarima, who is now head of the Cosafa Referees Committee.
“The tournament is not just about developing players, but match officials too. My countryman Felix Tangawarima can attest to that.
“The region has recently seen many top referees receive crucial appointments for the continental championships and World Cup qualifiers.
“Right now from Cosafa we have three of our own, Janny Sikazwe from Zambia, South African Zakhele Siwela and Jerson dos Santos from Angola who are currently in South Korea (at the FIFA Under-20 World Cup which started at the weekend)’’.
Sikazwe officiated in the Cosafa Castle Cup final in 2016 and also went to the Fifa Club World Cup in December.
“It also should be acknowledged that the Zambian side that won the African Nations Cup in 2012 was developed in part through the Cosafa Castle Cup.
“The Cosafa Castle Cup is a vital tournament in the region that fulfils its mandate to its members in that it provides competitive football at the highest organisational level. It provides the perfect preparation for nations for Caf and Fifa qualifiers, and gives a platform for many fringe players to shine,’’ Chiyangwa said.
The Harare property mogul believes that Cosafa’s tournaments, which also include Under-17 and Under20 championships for men, and women’s senior and Under-20 tournaments, are the perfect platform for corporates to align.
“The Cosafa Castle Cup and all of our tournaments provide the ideal platform for sponsors to align their products to. They can offer a big boost to brands through the marketing exposure achieved through television and other media.”
Chiyangwa, set to preside over his first tournament since taking over as Cosafa president, believes that the 2017 edition can yet be the best yet, on and off the pitch.