Attention: News Editors / Journalists / Press Members
Date: 03 November 2020
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
The Council of Southern Africa Football Associations (COSAFA) which is the umbrella body for all football associations in the SADC region is hosting the Women’s Championship in the Nelson Mandela Bay. The COSAFA Women’s Championship is set to kick start today, 03 November 2020, where South Africa will defend their title as champions when they meet against Angola in their Group A opener at Wolfson Stadium.
Minister Nathi Mthethwa and MEC Fezeka Nkomonye will officially open the tournament and attend the opening games today at Wolfson stadium. The tournament will see the participation of 10 National Women’s teams from across the SADC region. The event had earlier been postponed twice due to the coronavirus outbreak. It has since been approved by the Government of South Africa and it is the first women’s international event to be staged in Africa since the coronavirus outbreak after the cancellation of the 2020 Africa Women’s Cup of Nations in August. The senior women’s tournament will take place simultaneously with the U17 girls’ championship. The tournament is set to take place until 14 November 2020.
The aim of the tournament is to help develop football in the Southern African Region, not just players on the pitch but also coaches, match officials and administrators. Banyana Banyana have won a record sixth crown and third in a row following a 1-0 final victory over Zambia in August last year. The venues for the football matches will be Wolfson Stadium, Gelvandale and Oval Stadium. Due to COVID-19 regulations, no spectators will be allowed access into the stadiums, but matches will be broadcast LIVE on SuperSport’s Variety4 being streamed LIVE on www.cosafa.tv.
“Eastern Cape continues to lead as the province that has contributed immensely to sport development in the country, particularly to transformation and black players playing on National Teams. We take sport development very seriously in the province where we are bridging the gap between the young and older ones, by focusing on school sport as well as club development in terms of rugby, netball and soccer,” said the Department of Sport, Recreation, Arts and Culture (DSRAC) MEC Fezeka Nkomonye ahead of the opening of the COSAFA Women’s Championship.
For media queries, contact:
Mr Andile Nduna
Cell: 071 411 4820
Email: Andile.Nduna@ecsrac.gov.za
Issued by
DSRAC Communications
Department of Sport, Recreation, Arts and Culture – DSRAC E.C -end-