Draws all round in Group C at the Hollywoodbets Cosafa Cup 

There were two draws played in Group C at the Hollywoodbets Cosafa Cup 2024 on Friday as Angola and Namibia ended 0-0 and Lesotho drew 1-1 with Seychelles at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium.

The much-anticipated clash between Palancas Negras and the Brave Warriors failed to produce a goal despite the best efforts of both sides but there was still rich entertainment for the fans who came into the stadium.

Last year’s beaten finalists Lesotho were held to a 1-1 draw by Seychelles in the opening game on Friday, ending a run of seven successive losses for the islanders in the competiton dating back to 2019.

It is a seventh ever draw for Seychelles in the Cosafa Cup to go with one win and 27 defeats, so a point to celebrate.

Jane Thabantso, who holds the record for the fastest goal in Cosafa Cup history after 34 seconds against Mauritius in 2016, netted the opener for Lesotho on 19 minutes.

It is his seventh career goal in the competition, taking him level with Motebang Sera on the Lesotho scorers list in the Cosafa Cup, and two behind Eswatini’s Felix Badenhorst on the all-time list.

But Lesotho could not hold on and Seychelles found an equaliser midway through the second half via Lorenzo Hoareau to earn themselves a point.

The action continues Saturday at the Isaac Wolfson Stadium with the second round of games in Group A. Entrance will be free with tickets for available at the Usave Kwazakhele adjacent to the stadium on a first come, first served basis.

 All four teams are on a single point in the pool after the opening set of games. Mozambique drew 1-1 with hosts South Africa in their opener, while Eswatini and Botswana played to a 0-0 draw.

Mozambique take on Eswatini in their second game (kick-off 12h00 CAT), with honours even in Cosafa Cup matches between the sides on the past.

They have a win each and a draw in three past clashes, last meeting in the third- place play-off in 2021 when Eswatini were victorious on post-match penalties after the teams played to a 1-1 draw.

South Africa clash with Botswana (15h00 CAT) in the most played fixture in Cosafa Cup history, the 13th time they have clashed, and, quite incredibly, for the ninth tournament in a row.

They contested the 2016 final when an Olympics-bound South African side made up of under-23 players triumphed 3-2 in Windhoek.

With 19 meetings in all competitions, this is also the second most played fixture for Bafana Bafana in their international history, only eclipsed by their 24 meetings with Zambia. – cosafa.com