THE Zimbabwe national football team coaches will have an opportunity to assess the players at their disposal at the COSAFA Cup which is now set to be held from 26 June to 7 July in Durban.
The organisers yesterday confirmed the draw will be conducted today. The tournament which was originally scheduled to kick off today, had been postponed indefinitely.
This had come as a blow ahead of the upcoming AFCON 2025 qualifiers, whose draw will be conducted on July 4. Zimbabwe are still reeling from the effects of the FIFA ban and would need every opportunity to rebuild their team.
They failed to utilise one such opportunity during the Four Nations tournament in Malawi recently, ahead of the resumption of the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.
However, the Warriors will this morning know the identity of their opponents as they also look to return to the regional event, which they have won six times previously.
Zimbabwe missed last year's edition due to a FIFA ban.
Coach Jairos Tapera has since named his squad. Barring any changes, it is a blend of locally-based players and a few European-based talents that have been on the fringes of the national team.
Some of the local players that featured in the World Cup qualifiers squad, the likes of Godknows Murwira, Donovan Bernard, Martin Mapisa and Walter Musona were dropped to pave the way for a host of new faces like Prince Tafiremutsa, Emmanuel Jalai (Dynamos), Thubelihle Jubani (Manica Diamonds), Isheanesu Mauchi (Simba Bhora), Tawanda Chisi (Manica Diamonds), Juan Mutudza (FC Platinum), Kingsley Mureremba (CAPS United), Mtokozisi Msebe (Simba Bhora), Panashe Mutimbanyoka (FC Platinum), Tinotenda Meke (GreenFuel), Takunda Benhura (Ngezi Platinum), Tinotenda Benza (Herentals) and Denzel Mapuwa (GreenFuel).
Among the foreign-based players expected for the COSAFA Cup is Brentford's youthful goalkeeper Marley Tavaziva, Shane Maroodza (Huddersfield), Daniel Msendami (Jwaneng Galaxy), Joel Phuthi (Sheffield Wednesday) and Macauley Bonne who missed the recent World Cup games because he was facilitating a move to a new club.
COSAFA yesterday confirmed the group stage draw will be conducted this morning.
The draw will be streamed live on the COSAFA Facebook and YouTube pages. Organisers yesterday said will retain last year's format.
The format will again see 12 teams take part, split into three groups of four sides, with the three pool winners and the best runner-up advancing to the semi-finals.
Hosts South Africa, last year's winners Zambia, and Angola, the next best-placed side according to the FIFA World Rankings, will be the three-seeded teams. Madagascar and Mauritius have opted not to compete in 2024.
"The competition will give vital game-time for players and coaches ahead of the qualifiers for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations finals that are expected to be staged later this year.
"The format ensures each country will play a minimum of three games up to a maximum of five throughout the competition. It also allows for an extra day's rest between most pool games, a boost for player welfare," said COSAFA in a statement yesterday.
The 22 previous editions of the COSAFA Cup have seen some great performances and incredible games that have been written into the folklore of Southern African football, but only five nations can claim to have lifted the coveted trophy.
Zambia went back-to-back in 2023 and now sits at the top of the list of most titles with seven. That is one more than Zimbabwe, with South Africa (five), Angola (three), and Namibia (one) the only other teams to claim regional glory.
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Mozambique, Malawi, Botswana, and Lesotho have all been finalists twice but ended up on the losing side on both occasions. Guest nation Senegal is the only other nation to reach the decider but lost to South Africa in 2021.
GOALKEEPERS: Marley Tavaziva (Brentford), Geoffrey Chitsumba (Manica Diamonds), Prince Tafiremutsa (Dynamos)
DEFENDERS: Shane Maroodza (Huddersfield), Andrew Mbeba (Highlanders), Emmanuel Jalai (Dynamos), Thubelihle Jubani (Manica Diamonds), Isheanesu Mauchi (Simba Bhora), Tawanda Chisi (Manica Diamonds)
MIDFIELDERS: Daniel Msendami (Jwaneng Galaxy), Joel Phuthi (Sheffield Wednesday), Juan Mutudza (FC Platinum), Kingsley Mureremba (CAPS United), Mtokozisi Msebe (Simba Bhora), Tatenda Tavengwa (Venda Football Academy), Richard Hachiro (Ngezi Platinum), Panashe Mutimbanyoka (FC Platinum), Tinotenda Meke (GreenFuel)
FORWARDS: Macauley Bonne (Cambridge United), Takunda Benhura (Ngezi Platinum), Tinotenda Benza (Herentals), Denzel Mapuwa (GreenFuel)
