Soccer
South Africa geared for COSAFA Cup challenge in Bloemfontein─── MORGAN PIEK 09:19 Tue, 03 Jun 2025
Bafana Bafana’s coach for the upcoming COSAFA Cup in Bloemfontein, Vela Khumalo, is confident his side can lift the trophy again – but he believes it all hinges on securing a strong start in their tournament opener against Mozambique on Wednesday.
A solid South African squad has been assembled for the competition, which also serves as preparation for the 2025 African Nations Championship, set to take place in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda this August.
Most of the players in the squad have senior national team experience, which could prove invaluable. However, they remain on the fringes of the main national setup, as the more senior players will be involved in two international friendlies – against Tanzania (Friday) and Mozambique (Tuesday) – as part of preparations for the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers later this year.
Vela Khumalo. Photo: X
Khumalo, who is better known for his role as the national under-17 coach, believes this group has what it takes to win South Africa’s first COSAFA Cup title since 2018. While he admits they don’t know too much about Wednesday’s opponents, he’s encouraged by the spirit in the camp, especially given that they’ve had just two days to train together.
“Look, I think we’re happy that everyone has arrived. This was our first session, and remember, we only have two days before the match – this was our matchday minus two,” said Khumalo.
“Tuesday we’ll do a walkthrough. We’re pleased with the number of players who pitched up for the first session. The fact that we’re playing Mozambique – we don’t know much about them – but it’s more about how we want to express ourselves and play. And we’re playing at home.
“We need to show that we’re playing at home. We promise to play good football, but more importantly, we need to win. If we can see ourselves reaching the semi-finals, I think that’s the most important thing.
Monnapule Saleng in the CHAN qualifier against Egypt in Bloemfontein. Photo: Morgan Piek
“I’m happy with the group of players – they looked sharp. I wasn’t expecting that, given they’ve just come off a two-week break, but it seems we’re in good shape.
“We’re in a good space, and we’re looking forward to our next session on Tuesday.”
South Africa will face Mozambique on Wednesday at 15:00 at the Toyota Stadium in the tournament’s opening match. Later in the day, Mauritius and Zimbabwe will face off in the other Group A fixture, kicking off at 18:00.
