Chipolopolo in 7 day COSAFA wait after Comoros withdraw

by Staff Reporter

Monday Jul 05, 2021. 08:00

Chipolopolo Zambia now have a seven-day wait before they can kick-off their COSAFA Cup title defence following Group B opponents Comoros withdraw from the 2021 tournament.

The Indian Ocean archipelago nation will not be travelling to South Africa for the milestone 20th edition of the COSAFA Cup that will be hosted from July 6-18 at Nelson Mandela Bay.

“There has been a late change to the fixtures for the 2021 COSAFA Cup after Comoros were forced to pull out of the competition due their government’s restrictions around the COVID-19 pandemic,” COSAFA stated.

“Comoros was drawn in Group B alongside defending champions Zambia, Malawi, and Madagascar, with their absence now leaving three teams remaining in the pool for the regional showpiece competition that will be staged in Nelson Mandela Bay from July 6-18.”

Comoros were scheduled to play Zambia on July 7 in what would have been the two side’s first-ever senior meeting at the regional tournament Chipolopolo that has won five times.

Chipolopolo are hoping to equal their trans-Zambezi record winners Zimbabwe’s feat this month.

Zambia and Comoros have met just twice in their history and that was in the 2012 AFCON qualifiers that Zambia won 4-0 in Lusaka and 2-1 away in Moroni.

Chipolopolo will now kick off their campaign on July 10 against Madagascar.

Milutin ‘Micho’ Sredojevic’s team will later play Malawi in their final preliminary pool fixture on July 13.