COSAFA Cup: Zambia rekindles title defence, Malawi extends lead

The defending champions of the COSAFA Cup, Zambia, revived their hopes for title defence with a hard-fought 2-1 victory against the Comoros on Sunday at the King Zwelithini Stadium. This win propelled them to the second spot in Group B, trailing behind leaders Malawi.

After suffering defeat in their opening match against Malawi, Zambia entered the clash against the Comoros determined to keep their title defence dreams alive. Goals by Fredrick Mulambia and Albert Kangwanda in the second half brought them back into contention and rekindled their chances of progressing further in the competition to defend their title.

Meanwhile, Group B leaders, Malawi, continued their impressive run with a convincing 2-0 victory over Seychelles, further extending their lead at the top. Lanjesi Nkhoma and Jacama Kumwembe scored in the second half, securing the Flames’ position at the helm with six points and a secure spot in the semi-finals pending their final group match.

In other weekend fixtures, tournament hosts South Africa claimed the top spot in their group with a 2-1 victory over Botswana, while Eswatini triumphed over last year’s silver medallists, Namibia, with the same scoreline in the earlier Group A fixtures.

The COSAFA Cup action continues on Monday with the second round of Group C fixtures at the Princess Magogo Stadium in KwaMashu. Angola faces Mauritius in the 13h00 GMT fixture, followed by Mozambique taking on Lesotho in the 16h00 GMT kick-off.

The top finishers of the three groups secure automatic qualification to the semi-finals, while the best second-place finisher will claim the last spot in the last four.