Stars in tricky Cosafa group

Dar es Salaam. The national soccer team, Taifa Stars, have been handed a tricky Group A in this year’s Castle Cosafa Cup tournament kicking off on July 6 in Lusaka, Zambia.

According to the draw made in Lusaka on Friday night, Taifa Stars are grouped alongside Namibia, Mauritius and Swaziland with the winner set to meet South Africa in the quarterfinals.

Kim Poulsen’s boys will launch their campaign in the regional tournament on July 6 against Mauritius in Lusaka before taking on Swaziland on July 8.

They will play their final group match against Namibia on July 10 in Kabwe.

The Stars will be hoping to maintain their current superb form and it will be a dream clash for them if they proceed to the quarterfinals and clash with three-time champions Bafana Bafana of South Africa.

Meanwhile, Zambia coach Havre Renard is delighted that he has another opportunity to prove his pedigree in the upcoming Cosafa Castle Cup.

Renard said yesterday that his main aim was to lift the trophy on home soil, saying the team had no other ambition but to win all their matches.

Zambia, one of the four seeded teams as per latest Fifa rankings, have been given a bye to the quarterfinal stage where they will clash with Mozambique.

“I am happy the Cosafa Cup comes at the right time after a long absence,” Renard said.

“I am taking this tournament very seriously and my mission is to win all the matches though I know our opponents will not be easy to beat.

“Mozambique is not an easy team but I think the home advantage will work for us.

“This will be the best avenue to use most of our new players as we build a formidable team that can represent Zambia in the forthcoming international competitions,” he added.

Renard was at the helm when Zambia’s Chipolopolo made history by winning the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations hosted by Equatorial Guinea and Gabon. Currently, he is ranked third in Africa among the top coaches.

In another development, Cosafa president Suketu Patel is delighted by the return of the regional tournament after a three year absence, saying he was optimistic it will be a great tourney.

Suketu acknowledged that the period between 2010 and 2012 had been quiet, but added that despite the lull women and youth football was still vibrant. “We are delighted with the entrants for the return of the Cosafa Cup,” he said.
to be hosted by Zambia in July.

“The return of our showpiece regional competition is long overdue and we are excited at the prospects of once again seeing our best players from the Southern African region and our two guests from East Africa compete for the title,” Suketu said.

“I also want to thank the sponsors Castle Lager for this great partnership which shows renewed confidence in us. This is a good sign that better things are to come as we continue looking for other partners,” he added.

The Southern African countries that will participate in the 2013 competition include host Zambia, Angola, Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Seychelles, South Africa, Swaziland and Zimbabwe.

The two guest teams from East Africa invited to the tournament are Taifa Stars and Kenya’s Harambee Stars.