Brave Warriors to lock horns with Chipolopolo in Cosafa Cup
The Council of Southern Africa Football Associations (Cosafa) this week conducted the draw for regional showpiece competition, the 18th edition of the Cosafa Cup which will take place in South Africa May and it was announced that the Brave Warriors will face Zambia.
Brave Warriors coach, Ricardo Mannetti said the draw which pits them against Zambia is a repeat of the 2015 and 2016 competition.
“We played Zambia at the quarterfinals stage in 2015 when we went on to win our first Cosafa title and I hope that happens again. We also beat them in 2016 in the Plate final at home and we recently met at CHAN finals in Morocco and played a draw. We are sides that know each other very well and can’t get enough of facing each other”, said Mannetti.
He coach added that he believes his side have had the best of their rennet clashes. “ The last five encounters, we have been the better side and at Cosafa this year that should continue. They will be prepared and we will also be ready. The game goes on,” said Mannetti.
Zimbabwe return as defending champions having claimed a record fifth COSAFA Cup title in South Africa last year and they will face the winner of Group B in the quarterfinals, which contains powerhouse Angola, Botswana, Mauritius and Malawi.
Hosts South Africa will take on the winner of Group A, which contains Mozambique, Madagascar, Comoros Islands and Seychelles. The other two quarterfinals will see four-time winners Zambia clash with Namibia and Lesotho take on Swaziland.
South Africa and Zambia have each claimed four titles in the COSAFA Cup competition before, while Angola have three and Namibia celebrated their single success in 2015.
