Angola a high hurdle in opening match
Football
The tournament kicks off today with two group A matches – Eswatini v Botswana (15:00) followed by South Africa v Mozambique (18:00).
Angola and Namibia will open their campaign in this year’s COSAFA Cup this Friday, when they meet in group C at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Gqeberha (kick-off at 18:00).
Namibia has never before beaten Angola in any international football match, with seven draws and six losses.
Angola were the first team to have won the COSAFA Cup on three occasions (1999, 2001, 2004) and so were awarded the original trophy on a permanent basis as recognition of their feat.
They have however not managed to add to their tally since and are behind all-time leading winners Zimbabwe (six titles), Zambia (five) and Zimbabwe and South Africa (five).
They also became only the second COSAFA member after South Africa to qualify for the FIFA World Cup finals, representing Africa at the 2006 event in Germany.
‘Palancas Negras’ first won the regional trophy in 1999, when the COSAFA Cup was played as a knockout tournament for the first time. They beat Namibia 2-1 on aggregate in the final over two legs and then repeated the feat in 2001 when they overcame Zimbabwe.
In 2004 they got to keep the trophy after beating Zambia in the final in Lusaka, winning 5-4 on penalties after a goalless draw.
On all three occasions, Angola had to achieve their success away from home. The second leg of the 1999 final was played in Windhoek and Angola forced a 1-1 draw to take the title while in 2001 they scored a late winner in Harare to overcome Zimbabwe 1-0 on aggregate after a gritty battle in the final.
Angola are unbeaten at home in the COSAFA Cup, where they have played seven times in comparison to 36 assignments on the road.
They entered their national under-20 team into the COSAFA Cup in 2008, 2009 and 2016, so as not to significantly disrupt their domestic League season.
They did not participate in the 2015 tournament in South Africa, and also failed to appear in 2019 and 2021, before first-round exits in 2022 and 2023.
ANGOLA’S COSAFA CUP FINISHES
1997 Did not enter / 1998 Group stage (third) / 1999 Winners / 2000 Semifinals / 2001 Winners / 2002 Quarterfinals / 2003 First round / 2004 Winners / 2005 Semifinals / 2006 Runners-up / 2007 First round / 2008 Quarterfinals / 2009 Quarterfinals / 2013 Quarterfinals / 2015 Did not enter / 2016 First round / 2017 First round / 2018 First round / 2019 Did not enter / 2022 First round / 2023 First round.
Honours: 1999, 2001, 2004 COSAFA Cup winners
COSAFA CUP RESULT RECORD
Total: played 49, won 20, lost 15, drawn 14, goals 52-43.
vs Namibia: played 4, won 2, drawn 2, lost 0, goals 5-3.
Top goalscorers: 5 goals Fabrice Akwa, Arsénio Sebastião Cabungula (aka Love) / 4 goals Betinho.
Hat-tricks: Fabrice Akwa vs Mauritius (2006)
Biggest win: 5-1 vs Mauritius (2006)
Heaviest defeat: 0-3 vs Malawi (2016)
Longest winning run: 5 games (August 1998 to Sept 1999)
Longest losing run: 4 games (July 2013 to June 2016)
Longest unbeaten run: 11 games (March 1998 to May 2000)
Longest run without a win: 4 games (July 2007 to July 2017; July 2013 to June 2016)
Total clean sheets: 18 matches (36.7%)
Total failed to score: 17 matches (34.7%)
Namibia has never before beaten Angola in any international football match, with seven draws and six losses.
Angola were the first team to have won the COSAFA Cup on three occasions (1999, 2001, 2004) and so were awarded the original trophy on a permanent basis as recognition of their feat.
They have however not managed to add to their tally since and are behind all-time leading winners Zimbabwe (six titles), Zambia (five) and Zimbabwe and South Africa (five).
They also became only the second COSAFA member after South Africa to qualify for the FIFA World Cup finals, representing Africa at the 2006 event in Germany.
‘Palancas Negras’ first won the regional trophy in 1999, when the COSAFA Cup was played as a knockout tournament for the first time. They beat Namibia 2-1 on aggregate in the final over two legs and then repeated the feat in 2001 when they overcame Zimbabwe.
In 2004 they got to keep the trophy after beating Zambia in the final in Lusaka, winning 5-4 on penalties after a goalless draw.
On all three occasions, Angola had to achieve their success away from home. The second leg of the 1999 final was played in Windhoek and Angola forced a 1-1 draw to take the title while in 2001 they scored a late winner in Harare to overcome Zimbabwe 1-0 on aggregate after a gritty battle in the final.
Angola are unbeaten at home in the COSAFA Cup, where they have played seven times in comparison to 36 assignments on the road.
They entered their national under-20 team into the COSAFA Cup in 2008, 2009 and 2016, so as not to significantly disrupt their domestic League season.
They did not participate in the 2015 tournament in South Africa, and also failed to appear in 2019 and 2021, before first-round exits in 2022 and 2023.
ANGOLA’S COSAFA CUP FINISHES
1997 Did not enter / 1998 Group stage (third) / 1999 Winners / 2000 Semifinals / 2001 Winners / 2002 Quarterfinals / 2003 First round / 2004 Winners / 2005 Semifinals / 2006 Runners-up / 2007 First round / 2008 Quarterfinals / 2009 Quarterfinals / 2013 Quarterfinals / 2015 Did not enter / 2016 First round / 2017 First round / 2018 First round / 2019 Did not enter / 2022 First round / 2023 First round.
Honours: 1999, 2001, 2004 COSAFA Cup winners
COSAFA CUP RESULT RECORD
Total: played 49, won 20, lost 15, drawn 14, goals 52-43.
vs Namibia: played 4, won 2, drawn 2, lost 0, goals 5-3.
Top goalscorers: 5 goals Fabrice Akwa, Arsénio Sebastião Cabungula (aka Love) / 4 goals Betinho.
Hat-tricks: Fabrice Akwa vs Mauritius (2006)
Biggest win: 5-1 vs Mauritius (2006)
Heaviest defeat: 0-3 vs Malawi (2016)
Longest winning run: 5 games (August 1998 to Sept 1999)
Longest losing run: 4 games (July 2013 to June 2016)
Longest unbeaten run: 11 games (March 1998 to May 2000)
Longest run without a win: 4 games (July 2007 to July 2017; July 2013 to June 2016)
Total clean sheets: 18 matches (36.7%)
Total failed to score: 17 matches (34.7%)
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