COSAFA Awards Gala shifted to May 9

* Coincides with CAF executive committee meeting and CAF Champions League assignments

* Given the prestigious nature of the event and its importance on the COSAFA calendar, the difficult decision has been made to rather reschedule

By Duncan Mlanjira

The inaugural Confederation of Southern African Football Associations (COSAFA) Awards Gala which was scheduled for Friday, April 19 has been shifted to May 9 due to the unavailability of key stakeholders.

A statement from CAF says a Confederation of African Football (CAF) executive committee meeting has also been scheduled for Friday and also coincides with CAF Champions League assignments — that leads to an impact on the availability of key stakeholders.

“Given the prestigious nature of the event and its importance on the COSAFA calendar, the difficult decision has been made to rather schedule the Awards for a date when all relevant stakeholders are available,” says the statement.

“The COSAFA Awards gala dinner will be held in Gauteng and is a celebration of Southern Africa’s finest players, coaches and referees — as well as those who have been remarkable servants to the game in the region over the last few decades.

“The Awards should therefore be afforded the highest level of prominence,” maintains CAF in the statement.

Four Malawians have been nominated for excellence both at local an international levels in various categories — Tabitha Chawinga (Women’s Player of the Year); Rose Kadzere & Letica Chinyaluma (Women’s Promising Player of the Year); Mercy Sikelo (Goalkeeper of Year).

Tabitha, who is considered for her excellence at Inter Milan in Italy before moving to Paris St Germain in France, is nominated alongside two Zambian’s Barbra Banda (Shanghai Shengli in China) and Racheal Kundananji (Madrid FC in Spain).

The citation for Tabitha’s nomination is that she is a prolific scorer in Europe; managed 25 goals in Italy and France in 2023 and won the Golden Boot in the Women’s Serie A with Inter Milan in the 2022/23 season.

She has since gone on loan to PSG and continues to bang in the goals. Not to be confused with her sister Temwa Chawinga, who was top scorer with Malawi at the COSAFA Women’s Championship.

For Barbra Banda is that she has recently moved to Orlando Pride in the USA, reward for excellent form for club and country. She scored two goals in a famous win for Zambia over Germany prior to the 2023 Women’s World Cup, the biggest victory in their history. She also scored as Zambia beat Costa Rica 3-1 to record a first ever World Cup finals win.

Racheal Kundananji recently became the most expensive female player in history when she moved from Madrid FC to Bay FC in the USA for $800,000. That was on the back of 28 goals for Madrid FC in 2023 and a further eight for Zambia, including in their win over Costa Rica at the World Cup.

The citations from COSAFA on Women’s Promising Player of the Year are:

Esther Banda (Green Buffaloes & Zambia)

Defender Banda had a breakthrough year in 2023, travelling to the Women’s World Cup, though she did not play, helping Zambia to the silver medal at the COSAFA Women’s Championship and scoring her first international goals in the 2024 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.

The 19-year-old is certainly on an upward trajectory and also helped Green Buffaloes to the semifinals of the COSAFA Women’s Champions League competition.    

Leticia Chinyamula (Ascent Soccer & Malawi)

The 17-year-old midfielder was a key player for Malawi as they claimed a maiden success at the 2023 COSAFA Women’s Championship when they beat Zambia 2-1 in the final. She scored in the epic 4-3 win over hosts South Africa and in the 3-1 success against Madagascar in the pool stages. She started the final and put in an excellent display.

Rose Kadzere (Ascent Soccer & Malawi)

Kadzere was another who shone as Malawi won the 2023 COSAFA Women’s Championship, despite being only 17 years of age.

She got herself a goal in the 8-0 win over Eswatini and was steady throughout the campaign, playing in every match, including starting the final.

She was previously leading scorer in the COSAFA Under-17 Women’s Championship in 2022 and continued that development through the year.

The Men’s Player of the Year category has Zambian Lameck Banda (Lecce, Italy), Namibian Peter Shalulile (Mamelodi Sundowns, South Africa) and South African Percy Tau (Al Ahly, Egypt).

Lameck Banda is nominated for being the first-ever Zambian to feature in a Serie A match; has been influential for Lecce and also helped his country to qualify for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations. Is growing in stature at his club where he became more influential as the year went on.

Peter Shalulile finished joint top-scorer in the South African League in the 2022/23 season and helped Mamelodi Sundowns to an unprecedented sixth championship in a row.

Also helped the club win the inaugural African Football League and led Namibia to qualification for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations. Scored 25 goals 2023 for Sundowns and another three for Namibia.

Percy Tau lifted the 2023 CAF Champions League with Al Ahly and helped his Egyptian side to the 2022/23 domestic league title. He has become an important scorer and creator of goals for Ahly.

Also helped South Africa to 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualification. Scored against Urawa Reds as Ahly took third place at the FIFA Club World Cup.

The judging panel of the awards comprises renowned football analysts from the 14 member nations that make up COSAFA and includes Malawi’s seasoned sports journalists, Peter Kanjere.

Kanjere, who first made presence felt in Malawi’s sports journalism working for the Times Group — then named Blantyre Newspapers Limited (BNL) — before moving to the Nation Publications, also corresponds with SuperSport’s online publication.

He is currently public relations officer (PRO) for Electricity Supply Corporation of Malawi (ESCOM) Limited but his passion for sports — football in particular — is still aflame by contributing to SuperSport and sometimes to other online publications.

Others are Houssamidine Ben Ahmed (Comoros), Ivan Capuepue (Angola), Rob Delport (South Africa), Gerard Govinden (Seychelles), Jesse Kauraisa (Namibia), Kagiso Kgaogano (Botswana), Sibusiso Masilela (Eswatini), Sandra Mwila (Zambia), Boitelo Radebe (Lesotho), Heriniaina Samson (Madagascar), Benoit Thomas (Mauritius), Steve Vickers (Zimbabwe) and Raimundo Zandamela (Mozambique).