Durban is ready and waiting to host the 2019 edition of the COSAFA Cup. The tournament will go ahead as planned despite the late withdrawal of Angola earlier this week.
The tournament kicks-off on Saturday and the organisers have been hard at work to garner support from the local football fans.
Four of the participants in this year’s COSAFA Cup will be heading to next month’s Africa Cup of Nations tournament in Egypt.
The opening match is between Eswatini and Mauritius at King Zwelithini Stadium at 4:30pm.
COSAFA’s General Secretary Sue Destombes says they are ready to go.
“We had a very good meeting yesterday (Friday) with Ethekwini City and all of their various functional areas to make sure that the i’s are dotted and the t’s are crossed and to make sure everything is ready at the stadium. It’s just a normal manicuring, to make sure the grass is cut, and the part of the crossbar is correct all of the little things that everything is as it should be according to the rules of the game.”
Teams started arriving in Durban on Thursday for the 22nd edition of the COSAFA Cup.
The Comoros Islands and Eswatini were among the first countries to arrive for the tournament.
Newly appointed Eswatini coach, Kosta Papic, wants to leave a lasting impression this year.
“There’s no doubt about it, we are going to play two matches in the group stages and after that, we will see what is gonna happen with us. We are going to play quarterfinals, semi-final, and we will see.”
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