The Flames squad of the early years of the COSAFA Cup
* Angolan Fabrice Akwa tops the list who competed in the early years of the COSAFA Cup
* Featuring in seven tournaments between 1998 and 2006 and lifted the trophy twice in 2001 and 2004
* Akwa was a lead striker for Angola at the turn of the century, who played for Portuguese giants Benfica, among other overseas clubs
* As the southern African regional grouping awaits the new generation of heroes from the 2022 edition in Durban from July 5-17
By Duncan Mlanjira
As the Confederation of Southern African Football Association (COSAFA) awaits the birth of new generation of heroes from the 2022 COSAFA Cup edition in Durban from July 5-17, a list of top legends have been compiled — who have lit up the showpiece tournament with their skill and signed their names in history over the last 25 years.
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But not a single Malawian has made the list despite having the country’s legends having played their part in the competition that started in 1997.
The Malawian stars that would have made the list include Enerst Mtawali, Chauncy Gondwe, Patrick Mabedi, John Maduka, Meke Mwase, Wilfred Nyalugwe, Esau Kanyenda and many others.
But none have made on the list topped by Angolan striker, Fabricate Akwa, who is lauded for the stalwart role he played for the Palancas Negras who competed from the inaugural years, featuring in seven tournaments between 1998 and 2006.
He lifted the trophy twice, in 2001 and 2004, and is still the leading goal-scorer for Palancas Negras in the competition with five and was the lead striker for Angola at the turn of the century, who played for Portuguese giants Benfica, among other overseas clubs.
Fabrice Akwa
His hat-trick against Mauritius in 2006 is of special mention to go with his goals in 2000 and 2001 and he also scored the winning goals in the qualifiers that sent Angola to their first-ever World Cup appearance in Germany 2006, and later played in Qatar before finishing his career with Petro Atlético at home.
He netted 38 goals in 78 international appearances for his country.
Another nominee that Malawians will remember most is Mozambican, Manuel ‘Tico-Tico’ Bucuane, as “one of the greatest strikers his country has ever produced”.
Tico-Tico
He is acknowledged for having played in a record nine COSAFA Cup tournaments over an 11-year period “that makes him one of the competition’s greats, even if he could never quite steer Mozambique to the coveted title”.
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He made 22 COSAFA Cup appearances in all, netting seven goals in the process, and became one of the most feared strikers in the competition as he went on to play for Estrela da Amadora in Portugal before joining South African side Jomo Cosmos for the first of three spells in 1997.
He also played for Tampa Bay Mutiny in the USA, as well as South African PSL clubs SuperSport United, Orlando Pirates and Maritzburg United.
A South African who made the list is goalkeeper, Brian Baloyi — leaving out whom Malawians would most fondly remember and recommend, Andre Arense.
Brian Baloyi
Baloyi is lauded for his outstanding performance playing for South African giants Kaizer Chiefs and Mamelodi Sundowns, as well as for the Bafana Bafana.
He won 10 trophies in a glittering club career, but also had 12 years with the South African national side, which included appearances in the COSAFA Cup in 1998, 1999, 2000 and 2005, when he was captain.
Nicknamed ‘Spiderman’, he is described as one of the finest keepers of his generation and also won the African Cup Winners’ Cup with Chiefs in 2001. He played for AmaKhosi between 1993 and 2004, before leaving to join rivals Sundowns, where he played until 2010.
He is quoted as saying: “The COSAFA Cup made an enormous impact on me in terms of the international exposure I got, and also the chance to captain my country in the competition.”
Zambia’s contribution — and well deserved — is Rotson Kilambe, who played for the Chipolopolo at the 1998 and 2000 Africa Cup of Nations Cup finals and would also have a trophy-laden club career at home, in South Africa and China.
He won Man of the Match in his debut in the COSAFA Cup in a 1-0 win over Malawi in 1998, and later grabbed the goal that took the Chipolopolo to the trophy win that year against Zimbabwe.
He also bagged a brace and another Man of the Match prize in 2002 in victory over Mozambique. Kilambe turned out for South African giants Kaizer Chiefs and Mamelodi Sundowns, as well as Bloemfontein Celtic, with who he won the top eight competition.
He was also a Zambia league winner with Zanaco in 2002, the year in which he finished as the league’s top-scorer.
Peter Ndlovu of Zimbabwe makes the list and was acknowledged as being the greatest goal-scorer for Zimbabwe in the history of the COSAFA Cup, having netted eight goals during his time in the competition.
Peter Ndlovu
“Ndlovu always made himself available for the COSAFA Cup despite playing in the big leagues in England and his goals return was impressive, stretching over some seven seasons.
“His hat-trick in 2004 against eSwatini were the final goals he scored in the regional championship. He started his career with hometown club Highlanders in Bulawayo, before moving to England with Coventry City.
“He also played for Birmingham City, Sheffield United and Huddersfield, before returning to Africa to play for Mamelodi Sundowns, where he is currently acting as team manager.
Others mentioned include Kersley Appou of Mauritius — described as a stalwart of the early years of the COSAFA Cup, featuring in seven tournaments between 2000 and 2007, when he netted four goals.
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“No other player has scored more for the island nation in the competition, and he was a feared forward in his day. His international career actually stretched for 15 years as he only retired in 2014, but which time he had become the oldest African player to feature at the highest level when he turned out against Mauritania in an African Nations Cup qualifier at the age of 43 years and 354 days, beating the previous mark set by Cameroon great Roger Milla at the 1994 World Cup.”
Felix Badenhorst of eSwatini is on the list — described as “the most successful goal scorer in the history of the COSAFA Cup having netted nine times and could add to that tally this year if he returns to the national team”.
“He burst onto the scene at the 2016 COSAFA Cup in Namibia with five goals, and has scored every year since, bar 2018. Once on the wanted list of South African giants Mamelodi Sundowns in his much younger days, he turned out for Jomo Cosmos and AS Vita club in the DR Congo, before later spells back in South Africa with Mbombela United and TS Galaxy.”
Deon Hotto “will forever be in Namibian football folklore for his two goals in the 2015 COSAFA Cup final that handed his side the trophy and one of their greatest days on the soccer field”.
“He has six goals in all, the most by any Brave Warriors player in the competition and is still going strong for the national side. He currently plays his club football for Orlando Pirates in South Africa, where he is a leading player and a fixture in the first team.
“He got four goals in all in that 2015 COSAFA Cup run, added another on home soil in 2016 and then got one more in 2018.”
Lesotho contribution is Lehlohonolo Seema, a defender that played in eight COSAFA Cup tournaments between 1998 and 2006 and had a decade in all with the national side.
He played for Chelsea FC, Matlama FC and Bantu FC in Lesotho before winning a move to Bloemfontein Celtic in 1998 on the back of his COSAFA Cup showing, and he spent six seasons in the Free State.
He later joined Soweto giants Orlando Pirates, where he played for another five years that included a loan spell with Mpumalanga Black Aces.
Seema is quoted as saying: “The COSAFA Cup was a great launchpad for my career as it gave me international exposure, I never thought was possible.”
Dipsy Selolwane is described as a legend in Botswana having spent 13 years as a crucial cog in The Zebras midfield and having come through the ranks at hometown club Gaborone United before moving to Denmark to play for Vejle BK.
He then moved to the United States where he represented Chicago Fire and Real Salt Lake in Major League Soccer before joining South African clubs Santos, Jomo Cosmos, Ajax Cape Town, SuperSport United and the University of Pretoria from 2005.
Selolwane featured in six COSAFA Cup tournaments, the first in 1999 and the last in 2006. His debut in the competition saw him score in a 2-1 loss to South Africa.
