COSAFA remain hopeful that they can find space on the international calendar to host both the senior men’s COSAFA Cup and the increasingly popular Women’s Championship towards the end of the year, but much depends on whether South Africa will open its borders in 2020.
The COSAFA Cup was scheduled to be hosted in Durban in June, while the Women’s Championship, which Banyana Banyana have won for the last three editions, was headed for Port Elizabeth. Both were postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
“This is a “wait and see” at the moment and we await further developments and the easing of the lockdown regulations [in South Africa], particularly the re-opening of the borders by the Government,” Destombes says.
She is more hopeful that the men’s Under-17 and Under-20 competitions will be held, as these are also zonal qualifiers for Confederation of African Football (CAF) continental finals.
“We have been engaging with the football associations of Malawi and Mauritius regarding their continued hosting of the Men’s Under-17 and Under-20 Youth Zonal Qualifiers this year and are fairly confident in this regard,” Destombes says.
“We await proposed dates from Malawi, which they are considering taking cognizance of the school calendar, as well as the approval by Government to resume domestic football according to the plan put forward.
“In terms of the Under-20 Zonal Qualifier in Mauritius, we have received a verbal confirmation that, subject to the country’s Covid-19 status remaining as is and their borders re-opening next month, the tournament will continue as planned in December 2020.”
The women’s Under-20 competition will be staged if the AUSC Region 5 Games go ahead in Lesotho in December, while a new venue and date is being sought for the women’s Under-17 championship that was to be staged in Mauritius in April.
Source: supersport.com