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| Tournament details | |
|---|---|
| Host country | South Africa | 
| City | Port Elizabeth | 
| Dates | 6–18 July[1] | 
| Teams | 11 | 
| Venue(s) | 2 (in 1 host city) | 
| Final positions | |
| Champions | |
| Runners-up | |
| Third place | |
| Fourth place | |
| Tournament statistics | |
| Matches played | 24 | 
| Goals scored | 53 (2.21 per match) | 
| Top scorer(s) | (4 goals)  | 
| Best player(s) | |
| Best goalkeeper | (5 Clean Sheets)  | 
The 2021 COSAFA Cup was the 20th edition of the COSAFA Cup, an international football competition consisting of national teams of member nations of the Council of Southern Africa Football Associations (COSAFA). It took place on 6–18 July 2021.[2]
Zambia is the defending champion, having defeated Botswana, 1–0, in the previous edition's final on 8 June 2019.[3]
Participating nations
| National team | FIFA Ranking (27 May 2021)[4] | Best Performance | 
|---|---|---|
| 154 | Semi-finals (1999, 2002, 2003, 2021) | |
| 100 | Third Place (2015) | |
| 107 | Champions (2002, 2003, 2005, 2009, 2017, 2018) | |
| 131 | Group stage | |
| 146 | Runner-Up (2000) | |
| 22 | Debut | |
| 150 | Runner-Up (2016, 2019) | |
| 115 | Runner-Up (2002, 2003) | |
| 87 | Champions (1997, 1998, 2006, 2013, 2019) | |
| 117 | Runner-Up (2008, 2015) | |
| 111 | Champions (2015) | |
| 75 | Champions (2002, 2007, 2008, 2016) | 
Venue
Matches will held at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium and Wolfson Stadium in Port Elizabeth, South Africa.
| Port Elizabeth | Port Elizabeth | |
|---|---|---|
| Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium | Wolfson Stadium | |
| Capacity: 42,486 | Capacity: 10,000 | |
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Draw
The draw for the 2021 COSAFA Cup was staged in host city Nelson Mandela Bay on Thursday, June 17, 2021.[6]
Grouping line
| Group A | Group B | 
|---|---|
Match officials
| 
 Referees 
  | 
 Assistant Referees 
 
  | 
Group stages
- Tiebreakers
 
Teams are ranked according to points (3 points for a win, 1 point for a draw, 0 points for a loss), and if tied on points, the following tiebreaking criteria are applied, in the order given, to determine the rankings (Regulations Article 9.3)
- Points in head-to-head matches among tied teams;
 - Goal difference in head-to-head matches among tied teams;
 - Goals scored in head-to-head matches among tied teams;
 - If more than two teams are tied, and after applying all head-to-head criteria above, a subset of teams are still tied, all head-to-head criteria above are reapplied exclusively to this subset of teams;
 - Goal difference in all group matches;
 - Goals scored in all group matches;
 - Penalty shoot-out if only two teams are tied and they met in the last round of the group;
 - Disciplinary points (yellow card = 1 point, red card as a result of two yellow cards = 3 points, direct red card = 3 points, yellow card followed by direct red card = 4 points);
 - Drawing of lots.
 
- All matches will be held at Port Elizabeth
 - Time listed are UTC+2:00
 
| Key to colour in group tables | |
|---|---|
| Group Winners and Runners-up advance to the Semi-finals | |
Group A
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | 
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 0 | +6 | 10 | Semi-finals | |
| 2 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 3 | +2 | 7 | ||
| 3 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | −1 | 4 | ||
| 4 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 4 | +2 | 4 | ||
| 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 12 | −9 | 3 | 
| Eswatini  | 3–1 | |
|---|---|---|
  | 
Report | 
  | 
| South Africa  | 1–0 | |
|---|---|---|
  | 
Report | 
  | 
| Zambia  | 1–2 | |
|---|---|---|
| Report | 
  | 
| South Africa  | 1–0 | |
|---|---|---|
  | 
Report | 
  | 
| Lesotho  | 0–4 | |
|---|---|---|
  | 
Report | 
  | 
| Zambia  | 0–1 | |
|---|---|---|
  | 
Report | 
  | 
| Botswana  | 1–2 | |
|---|---|---|
  | 
Report | 
  | 
| South Africa  | 4–0 | |
|---|---|---|
  | 
Report | 
  | 
Group B
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | 
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 4 | +2 | 9 | Semi-finals | |
| 2 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1 | +2 | 7 | ||
| 3 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 3 | +2 | 7 | ||
| 4 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 7 | −3 | 2 | ||
| 5 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 6 | −3 | 2 | 
| Mozambique  | 0–0 | |
|---|---|---|
  | 
Report | 
  | 
| Senegal  | 1–2 | |
|---|---|---|
  | 
Report | 
  | 
| Malawi  | 2–2 | |
|---|---|---|
| Report | 
  | 
| Senegal  | 1–0 | |
|---|---|---|
  | 
Report | 
| Namibia  | 2–0 | |
|---|---|---|
  | 
Report | 
  | 
| Mozambique  | 2–0 | |
|---|---|---|
  | 
Report | 
| Senegal  | 2–1 | |
|---|---|---|
| A. Ndoye  M. Ba  | 
Report | Q. Amini  | 
| Malawi  | 1–1 | |
|---|---|---|
| M. Mhone  | 
Report | 
  | 
| Mozambique  | 1–0 | |
|---|---|---|
  | 
Report | 
  | 
Knockout stage
- In the knockout stage, extra-time and a penalty shoot-out will be used to decide the winner if necessary.
 
Bracket
| Semi-finals | Final | |||||
| 16 July – Port Elizabeth | ||||||
| 2 (3) | ||||||
| 18 July – Port Elizabeth | ||||||
| 2 (0) | ||||||
| 0 (4) | ||||||
| 16 July – Port Elizabeth | ||||||
| 0 (5) | ||||||
| 3 | ||||||
| 0 | ||||||
| Third place match | ||||||
| 18 July– Port Elizabeth | ||||||
| 1 (4) | ||||||
| 1 (2) | ||||||
Semi-finals
| Senegal  | 2–2 | |
|---|---|---|
  | 
Report | 
  | 
| Penalties | ||
  | 
3–0 | 
  | 
| South Africa  | 3–0 | |
|---|---|---|
  | 
Report | 
  | 
Third place match
| Eswatini  | 1–1 (a.e.t.) | |
|---|---|---|
  | 
Report | 
  | 
| Penalties | ||
  | 
4–2 | 
  | 
Final
| Senegal  | 0–0 (a.e.t.) | |
|---|---|---|
| Report | ||
| Penalties | ||
  | 
4–5 | 
  | 
Statistics
Goalscorers
There were 53 goals scored in 24 matches, for an average of 2.21 goals per match.
4 goals
3 goals
2 goals
 Sabelo Ndzinisa
 Sera Motebang
 Khuda Ike Muyaba
 Pepe Massar Dijitte
 Abu Bakry Diop
1 goal
 Felix Badenhorst
 Sandile Gomedze
 Fanelo Mamba
 Sifiso Matse
 Khethukulhe Mkhontfo
 Tumelo Khutlang
 Schumacher Kuwali
 Micium Mhone
 Melque Melito
 Fancisco Simbine
 Victor Jancinto Vitinho
 Marcel Papama
 Mohamed Rassoul Ba
 Albert Diène
 El Hadji Kane
 Abdoul Ndoye
 Moegamat Yusuf Maart
 Kagiso Joseph Malinga
 Sphelele Mkhulise
 Njabulo Ngcobo
 Thabang Sibanyoni
 Qadr Amini
 Patrick Ben Musaka
 Blessing Sarupinda
 Khetkhokuhle Mkhontfo
 Martinho Alberto Thauzene
1 own goal
 Qadr Amini (against Namibia)
References
- ↑ "COSAFA nations in friendly action over the weekend". COSAFA. 7 June 2021. Retrieved 7 June 2021.
 - ↑ "20th COSOFA Cup 2021". International Soccerway. Retrieved 5 July 2021.
 - ↑ "Zambia crowned 2019 COSOFA Cup". Cosofa.com. 8 June 2019. Retrieved 5 July 2021.
 - ↑ FIFA.com. "The FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking - Ranking Table - FIFA.com". FIFA.com. Archived from the original on 12 April 2016. Retrieved 5 July 2021.
 - ↑ Comoros withdrawal forces change to 2021 COSAFA Cup fixtures. COSAFA, July 3, 2021.
 - ↑ "Draw for historic 20th edition of the COSAFA Cup". COSAFA. 17 June 2021. Retrieved 17 June 2021.
 


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