The regional Cosafa Cup has reverted to the old format where teams first compete in the knockout stage with losing quarter-finalists facing off in a separate plate tournament.
The Council for Southern Africa Football Associations (Cosafa) yesterday announced in a statement that this year’s competition will re-introduce the format which was abandoned in the last edition.
The statement reads in part: “There will be two phases to the draw. The first sees the eight lowest positioned sides according to the latest Fifa rankings contesting a first round pool stage. They will be split into two groups with four sides each.
“The top teams in each pool advance to the quarter-finals where they will be joined by the six higher-ranked sides. The draw for this round will also be completed on Tuesday. The competition continues in a knockout format after that, with the losing quarter-finalists to play in the plate tournament.”
Malawi has been seeded for the first pool stage alongside Angola, Comoros Islands and Lesotho while Botswana, e-Swatini, Mauritius and Seychelles are unseeded.
Last year’s beaten finalists, Senegal will return as guest participants.
The 2022 edition will feature 13 of the 14 Cosafa members with Zimbabwe missing due to Fifa suspension.
Meanwhile, Cosafa chief executive officer Sue Destombes says fans will this year be allowed to watch the matches at the stadiums.
Football Association of Malawi competitions and communications director Gomezgani Zakazaka said the tournament will be a preparation for the Flames’ African Nations Championship and the next round of 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers to be played in September and November.
He said: “The return of the Plate Tournament is also good news as it will accord teams an opportunity to play more games.”
Last year, Malawi were pooled in Group B alongside Namibia, Mozambique, Zimbabwe and guests Senegal. The Flames lost to Mozambique and Senegal and managed draws against Zimbabwe and Namibia to return from the tournament held in South Africa, without a win.
The regional football tournament did not take place in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
In 2019, for the first time since 2015, the Flames made it to the quarter-finals unbeaten.
Malawi beat Comoros in the Plate semi-final but lost to hosts South Africa in the final.
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