COSAFA Cup
The COSAFA Cup is an annual tournament for teams from Southern Africa organized by Council of Southern Africa Football Associations (COSAFA), created after the ban against the Republic of South Africa had been lifted and the African Cup of Nations had been staged there in 1996.
Founded | 1997 |
---|---|
Region | Southern Africa |
Number of teams | 14 |
Current champions | ![]() (7th title) |
Most successful team(s) | ![]() (7 titles) |
Website | cosafa |
![]() |

History
Angola, Botswana, Comoros, Eswatini (Swaziland), Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Seychelles, South Africa, Zambia, and Zimbabwe have been in the tournament in the past. Additionally, seven non-COSAFA members have played: Democratic Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Ghana, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda and Senegal.
Results
^n/a A round-robin tournament determined the final standings.
Teams reaching the top four
As of 2023
Team | Winners | Runners-up | Third Place | Fourth Place | Semi-finalists | Top 4 Finishes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
![]() |
7 (1997, 1998, 2006, 2013, 2019, 2022, 2023) | 6 (2004, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2017, 2018) | 1 (2008) | 1 (2001) | 3 (1999, 2002, 2003) | 19 |
![]() |
6 (2000, 2003, 2005, 2009, 2017, 2018) | 3 (1998, 2001, 2013) | 1 (2019) | 2 (2004, 2006) | 12 | |
![]() |
5 (2002, 2007, 2008, 2016, 2021) | 2 (2013, 2023) | 1 (2009) | 2 (2000, 2005) | 10 | |
![]() |
3 (1999, 2001, 2004) | 1 (2006) | 1 (1998) | 2 (2000, 2005) | 7 | |
![]() |
1 (2015) | 3 (1997, 1999, 2022) | 1 (1998) | 5 | ||
![]() |
2 (2008, 2015) | 2 (1997, 2009) | 2 (2021, 2022) | 2 (2004, 2007) | 8 | |
![]() |
2 (2002, 2003) | 1 (2001) | 1 (2023) | 4 | ||
![]() |
2 (2016, 2019) | 1 (2015) | 2 (2006, 2007) | 5 | ||
![]() |
2 (2000, 2023) | 1 (2018) | 3 (2013, 2017, 2019) | 6 | ||
![]() |
1 (2021) | 1 (2022) | 2 | |||
![]() |
2 (2016, 2021) | 3 (1999, 2002, 2003) | 5 | |||
![]() |
1 (2015) | 2 (2008, 2018) | 3 | |||
![]() |
1 (2017) | 1 (1997) | 2 | |||
![]() |
1 (2016) | 1 |
Participating nations
- Legend
|
|
|
Team | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 20102 | 2013 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
![]() |
– | 3rd | 1st | SF | 1st | QF | 1R | 1st | SF | 2nd | 1R | QF | QF | x | QF | – | GS | GS | GS | ––1 | – | GS | GS | 18 |
![]() |
1R | 1R | 2R | 1R | 1R | 1R | QF | QF | 1R | SF | SF | QF | QF | x | GS | 4th | 2nd | QF | QF | 2nd | GS | QF | GS | 22 |
![]() |
– | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | GS | GS | x | – | – | – | – | GS | QF | ––1 | GS | GS | 6 |
![]() |
1R | 1R | SF | QF | QF | SF | SF | QF | 1R | 1R | 1R | GS | GS | x | GS | GS | 3rd | QF | QF | GS | 3rd | QF | GS | 22 |
![]() |
1R | 1R | QF | 2nd | QF | 1R | 1R | 1R | 1R | 1R | 1R | GS | GS | x | 4th | GS | QF | 4th | 3rd | 4th | GS | GS | 2nd | 22 |
![]() |
– | – | – | –– | – | QF | QF | 1R | 1R | 1R | 1R | 4th | ––1 | x | – | 3rd | GS | GS | 4th | – | ––1 | QF | – | 12 |
![]() |
5th | 1R | 2R | QF | SF | 2nd | 2nd | QF | 1R | 1R | 1R | GS | QF | x | QF | QF | GS | GS | GS | QF | GS | GS | 4th | 22 |
![]() |
– | – | – | 1R | QF | 1R | 1R | QF | 1R | 1R | 1R | GS | GS | x | GS | GS | GS | GS | GS | GS | – | GS | GS | 18 |
![]() |
3rd | 5th | QF | 1R | 1R | QF | QF | SF | 1R | 1R | SF | 2nd | 3rd | x | QF | 2nd | QF | GS | GS | GS | 4th | 4th | GS | 22 |
![]() |
2nd | 4th | 2nd | QF | 1R | 1R | 1R | 1R | 1R | 1R | 1R | QF | QF | x | QF | 1st | QF | QF | QF | GS | GS | 2nd | GS | 22 |
![]() |
– | – | – | –– | – | – | – | – | 1R | 1R | 1R | GS | GS | x | GS | GS | GS | GS | GS | GS | – | GS | GS | 13 |
![]() |
– | 1R | QF | SF | QF | 1st | QF | 1R | SF | 1R | 1st | 1st | 4th | x | 3rd | QF | 1st | QF | QF | QF | 1st | QF | 3rd | 21 |
![]() |
1st | 1st | SF | QF | SF | SF | SF | 2nd | 2nd | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 2nd | x | 1st | QF | QF | 2nd | 2nd | 1st | GS | 1st | 1st | 22 |
![]() |
1R | 2nd | QF | 1st | 2nd | QF | 1st | SF | 1st | SF | 1R | QF | 1st | x | 2nd | GS | GS | 1st | 1st | 3rd | GS | – | – | 20 |
Guest Nations | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
![]() |
– | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 4th | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1 |
![]() |
– | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | ––1 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 0 |
![]() | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | QF | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1 |
![]() |
– | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | GS | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1 |
![]() |
– | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 2nd | 3rd | – | 2 |
![]() |
4th | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | ––1 | GS | – | 3rd | – | – | – | – | – | 3 |
![]() |
– | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | QF | – | – | – | 1 |
Total | 9 | 10 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 13 | 0 (14) | 13 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 10 | 14 | 12 |
*D.R. Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Ghana, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda and Senegal are not COSAFA members, but have been invited to participate in the past.
1 Withdrew from tournament.
2 Tournament not played.
Summary (1997–2022)
COSAFA Cup invitees are included in the table with blue.
Rank | Team | Part | M | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Points |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | ![]() | 21 | 63 | 32 | 22 | 10 | 93 | 48 | +45 | 117 |
2 | ![]() | 20 | 59 | 34 | 17 | 8 | 100 | 49 | +51 | 113 |
3 | ![]() | 20 | 55 | 30 | 19 | 6 | 77 | 29 | +48 | 109 |
4 | ![]() | 21 | 59 | 23 | 17 | 19 | 76 | 62 | +14 | 86 |
5 | ![]() | 21 | 61 | 19 | 15 | 24 | 59 | 70 | -11 | 75 |
6 | ![]() | 21 | 53 | 20 | 16 | 17 | 65 | 57 | +8 | 73 |
7 | ![]() | 17 | 43 | 18 | 15 | 12 | 47 | 37 | +10 | 68 |
8 | ![]() | 21 | 59 | 16 | 20 | 23 | 61 | 71 | -10 | 68 |
9 | ![]() | 21 | 51 | 15 | 17 | 19 | 52 | 50 | +2 | 62 |
10 | ![]() | 21 | 53 | 14 | 15 | 24 | 50 | 74 | -24 | 57 |
11 | ![]() | 12 | 36 | 14 | 8 | 14 | 39 | 38 | +1 | 50 |
12 | ![]() | 18 | 40 | 8 | 8 | 24 | 25 | 57 | -32 | 32 |
13 | ![]() | 6 | 18 | 4 | 3 | 11 | 14 | 28 | -14 | 15 |
14 | ![]() | 13 | 19 | 1 | 6 | 27 | 19 | 64 | -45 | 9 |
15 | ![]() | 2 | 9 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 13 | 12 | +1 | 13 |
16 | ![]() | 3 | 13 | 2 | 6 | 5 | 10 | 15 | -5 | 12 |
17 | ![]() | 1 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 |
18 | ![]() | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 5 | -4 | 0 |
19 | ![]() | 1 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 4 | +1 | 4 |
20 | ![]() | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
21 | ![]() | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Top scorers
Peter Ndlovu of Zimbabwe and Manuel 'Tico-Tico' Bucuane of Mozambique are all-time top goalscorers in the tournament with ten goals each. In 2021 Felix Badenhorst of Eswatini moved into second position with nine goals.[2]
Year | Player | Goals |
---|---|---|
1998 | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
2 |
1999 | ![]() |
3 |
2000 | ![]() ![]() |
2 |
2001 | 18 players tied | 1 |
2002 | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
2 |
2003 | ![]() ![]() ![]() |
2 |
2004 | ![]() |
3 |
2005 | ![]() |
4 |
2006 | ![]() |
3 |
2007 | ![]() |
3 |
2008 | ![]() |
4 |
2009 | ![]() |
4 |
2013 | ![]() |
4 |
2015 | ![]() |
5 |
2016 | ![]() |
5 |
2017 | ![]() |
6 |
2018 | ![]() |
5 |
2019 | ![]() ![]() ![]() |
3 |
2021 | ![]() |
4 |
2022 | ![]() |
3 |
Notes
- Competed as Swaziland until 2018.
References
- "COSAFA tourney cancelled, hosts blamed". 18 October 2010. Archived from the original on 17 April 2011. Retrieved 15 November 2010.
- "Badenhorst makes Cosafa Cup history". The Namibian. Archived from the original on 14 July 2021. Retrieved 14 July 2021.
Kabelo