The 2024 HOLLYWOODBETS COSAFA Women’s Championship in numbers

This will be the eighth year in a row that the HOLLYWOODBETS COSAFA Women’s Championship has been held, a sign once more of COSAFA’s commitment to the development of the women’s game in the region.

It will be hosted in Gqeberha, South Africa, from October 22-November 2 and we round up the numbers ahead of this year’s tournament.

1 – Tanzania became the first guest nation to claim the trophy when they defeated Malawi 1-0 in the 2021 decider. There are no guests in this year’s line-up.

1 – Zambia won their maiden COSAFA Women’s Championship title when they beat South Africa 1-0 in the 2022 decider. They had lost to the same opponents in their other final appearance in 2019.

2 – The number of COSAFA sides that qualified for the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup … African champions South Africa reached the round of 16 and Zambia exited in the group stages on debut but signed off with a victory over Costa Rica.

3 – The number of nations who have won the African Women’s Championship. Nigeria have 11 titles, Equatorial Guinea two and South Africa claimed their maiden success in Morocco last year when they beat the hosts 2-1 in the final. It was a case of sixth time lucky after losing five previous finals.

4 – The three groups in this year’s COSAFA Women’s Championship will each contain four sides. Only the top nation and the best-placed runner-up across the pools advance to the semifinals.

4 – South Africa coach Dr Desiree Ellis has lifted the COSAFA Women’s Championship trophy on four occasions (2017-20), making her the most successful coach in the competition’s history.

4 – Four nations have reached the COSAFA Women’s Championship decider but never lifted the trophy. They are Namibia (2006), Angola (2008), Cameroon (2018) and Botswana (2020). Malawi (2021) were on that list too until their triumph last year when they beat Zambia 2-1 in the final.

7 – South Africa will be hosting the COSAFA Women’s Championship for the seventh  time. Zimbabwe (2002, 2011, 2017) have hosted on three previous occasions, with Zambia (2006) and Angola (2008) staging the event once each.

7 – The number of COSAFA countries that have competed at the African Women’s Championship in the past – South Africa (13 times), Zimbabwe (four), Zambia (four), Angola (two), Namibia, Mozambique and Botswana. Associate member Reunion also made an appearance in 2000.

7 – South Africa have won the COSAFA Women’s Championship on seven previous occasions – 2002, 2006, 2008, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020. They also made the final in 2011 but lost to hosts Zimbabwe and in 2022 were defeated by Zambia.

9 – Malawi hot-shot Temwa Chawinga finished top of the scorers charts at the 2023 COSAFA Women’s Championship with nine goals, almost double the next highest by South Africa’s Thubelihle Shamase (5).

12 – This year’s COSAFA Women’s Championship will be the 12th time the regional showpiece competition has been held, all since the inaugural event in 2002.

12 – South African striker Noko Matlou banged in 12 goals in the 2008 COSAFA Women’s Championship, which helped her lift the CAF Women’s Footballer of the Year prize that season. It is the most goals in a single championship.

14 – There will be a record number of teams competing at the COSAFA Women’s Championship this year with 14 competitors for the first time. Angola, Comoros, Eswatini, Lesotho, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Seychelles, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe will all be present.

17 – The number of goals scored by South Africa when they defeated Comoros 17-0 in their Group A clash in 2019. It is the biggest win in COSAFA Women’s
Championship history.

31 – The number of goals scored by South Africa in their three COSAFA Women’s Championship Group B matches in 2002. They beat Botswana (14-0), Mozambique (13-0) and Swaziland (4-0) on their way to the title. It is the most ever scored in the pool stages.

50 – South Africa are the top-ranked side in the COSAFA region according to the FIFA Women’s World Rankings at number 50. They are the second-best team in Africa according to the list after Nigeria (36). Zambia are the next highest from the COSAFA region at 62.

70 – The number of goals scored in 22 matches at the 2023 COSAFA Women’s Championship, a healthy average of over three per game. It is the exact same
number that were netted in 2022!