Flames assistant coach feels they have assembled a very good squad to take themselves to the COSAFA Cup 2025 semifinals

* It’s very unfortunate that we have been participating in the COSAFA Cup since 1997 but we haven’t won it

* We are going there to compete and try to bring the cup home—Mponda ahead of opening match against Lesotho tomorrow, June 5

* Matches to be broadcast on SABC, SuperSport, and streamed live on FIFA+ as hosts South Africa open the floor against neighbours, Mozambique this afternoon

By Duncan Mlanjira

Flames assistant coach Peter Mponda feels the technical team have assembled a very good squad to take themselves to the COSAFA Cup 2025 semifinals while eyeing to reach the final and clinch the title for the first time ever since its introduction some 24 years ago.

After the team’s final training session before their departure for Bloemfontein, South Africa, Mponda is quoted by Fam.mw as saying they have tried to find the balance between giving exposure to some of the guys and also going to the tournament and trying to win it.

“It’s very unfortunate that we have been participating since 1997 but we haven’t won it,” he is quoted as saying. “We feel that we have taken a very good squad to take us to the semifinals and see what happens if we reach the finals and try to win it.

“We are going there to compete and try to bring the cup home,” said Mponda, who open their title campaign against Lesotho tomorrow before meeting Namibia on Sunday, June 8 and the final Group B clash against defending champions Angola on June 10.

All the matches will be broadcast on SABC, SuperSport, and streamed live on FIFA+ as hosts South Africa open the floor against neighbours, Mozambique this afternoon from 15h00 CAT — with the other Group A action kicking off between six-time champions Zimbabwe against Mauritius at 18h00 CAT.

The 14 teams from Council for Southern Africa Football Associations (COSAFA) and one from East African country, Tanzania as guest, are split into four groups — two comprising four sides each while two pools have three — South Africa, Mozambique, Mauritius, Zimbabwe (Group A); Angola, Namibia, Malawi, Lesotho (Group B); Tanzania, Madagascar, eSwatini (Group C); and Zambia, Comoros, Botswana (Group D).

Malawi meet Lesotho tomorrow from 15h00 CAT followed by Angola’s clash against Namibia at 18h00 CAT while the opening match in Group D is between record seven-time champions Zambia and Comoros at 18h00 CAT on Friday.

Meanwhile, the COSAFA Cup 2025 is more than just a regional tournament — it’s a crucial preparation platform for eight teams heading to the CAF Africa Cup of Nations (AfCON) Morocco 2025 — Angola, Botswana, Comoros,  South Africa, Mozambique, Zambia, Zimbabwe and guest nation Tanzania.

The teams will be aiming to strategically using this competition to refine their tactics, assess squad depth, and build momentum AfCON Morocco 2025 finals.

At the same time, Tanzania will fine tune themselves ahead of the CAF African Nations Championship (CHAN) 2025 finals which they will co-host alongside Kenya and Uganda in August — to be joined there by COSAFA sides, South Africa, Angola, Madagascar and Zambia.

Of the seven COSAFA nations that have qualified for the AfCON finals, only South Africa (1996) and Zambia (2012) have lifted the continental crown.