Online Reporter
Eddie Chikamhi-Zimpapers Sports Hub
ROBUST efforts to bring the 2028 AFcON finals to Southern Africa are being touted by the COSAFA bloc, with Zimbabwe expected to be part of the four nations expected to host the football jamboree in two years’ time.
Incoming COSAFA president Tariq Babitseng confirmed yesterday that his country Botswana, South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia have prepared a joint bid.
Babitseng said the idea was influenced by the encouragement by CAF for zones to join forces to encourage football development.
“I can confirm that Southern African region, predominantly, Botswana Football Association, South African Football Association, Namibian Football Association, and Zimbabwe Football Association, have put a joint bid at the time when they opened it up, and we managed to submit it on time for us to host the tournament in Southern Africa.
“This was also because when we were in Rabat, the president of CAF encouraged the zones to make sure that we hold competitions,” said Babitseng. According to the plans, Zimbabwe, Botswana and Namibia will be able to host a few games or groups, if they satisfy the requirements, with the majority of the tournament taking place in South Africa.
Zimbabwe are currently in the process of renovating the National Sports Stadium to meet the CAF standards.
Babitseng was elected COSAFA president unopposed at the organisation’s elective Congress in Harare. He aims to reinforce unity in the region.
“We want to unify this zone. We want to unify all the countries so that we are one voice because we are the biggest group in Africa with 14 members out of 54.
“So, we need to start taking ourselves seriously and make sure that we do what we need to do and also have a voice in Africa and the world,” said Babitseng. He said the COSAFA leadership will strengthen the COSAFA senior men’s and women’s football tournaments to improve competitiveness in the region.
“(COSAFA tournament) has not been attractive to us according to our standards or how we had wanted it to be.
“As you recall in the past, we used to have an influx of partners wanting to be part of COSAFA. And it was staged in all the countries in Southern Africa.
“We noticed that in recent years, most of the countries are using this tournament for development.
“So, the intention is to resuscitate this, to make sure that all the players that are playing outside of the countries are going to be part of this tournament in alignment with the FIFA calendar,” said Babitseng.
