# 2021 COSAFA Women's Championship

The 2021 COSAFA Women's Championship was 9th edition of the COSAFA Women's Championship, a women's international football tournament for national teams organised by COSAFA, teams from Southern Africa. It will take place from 28 September to 9 October 2021 in the Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan Municipality, South Africa.
South Africa are the defending champion by having defeated Botswana 1–2 goals on 14 November 2020. They were beaten by Malawi in the semi-finals 3–2.

## Participants

Nine of the fourteen COSAFA member took take part in the competition. South Sudan and Tanzania from the CECAFA region entered as guests. Comoros withdrew and were replaced by guests Uganda from the CECAFA region. The draw was held on 12 August 2021.
* Angola
* Botswana
* Eswatini
* Malawi
* Mozambique
* Namibia
* South Africa
* South Sudan (guest)
* Tanzania (guest)
* Uganda (guest)
* Zambia
* Zimbabwe

### Did not enter

* Comoros
* Lesotho
* Madagascar
* Mauritius
* Seychelles

## Venue

Matches will be held at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium and Wolfson Stadium in Port Elizabeth, South Africa.
| Port Elizabeth | Port Elizabeth | Port Elizabeth |
| Gelvandale Stadium | Port Elizabeth | Wolfson Stadium |
| Capacity: 3,000 | Port Elizabeth | Capacity: 10,000 |

## Group stage

The group stage is composed of three groups of four teams each. Group winners and the best runner-up amongst all groups advance to the semi-finals.
All times are South African Standard Time (UTC+2).
* Tie-breaking criteria for group play
* The ranking of teams in each group was based on the following criteria:
* Number of points obtained in games between the teams involved
* Goal difference in games between the teams involved
* Goals scored in games between the teams involved
* Away goals scored in games between the teams involved
* Goal difference in all games
* Goals scored in all games
* Drawing of lots
Key to colour in group tables :
* The top finisher in each group and best runner-up qualified for the Knocokout-stage

### Group A

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
| 1 | South Africa (H) | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 2 | +3 | 7 | Advance to Knockout stage |
| 2 | Malawi | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 4 | +2 | 6 | Advance to Knockout stage |
| 3 | Angola | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 4 | −2 | 2 | |
| 4 | Mozambique | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 8 | −3 | 1 | |

### Group B

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
| 1 | Tanzania | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 | +8 | 9 | Advance to Knockout stage |
| 2 | Zimbabwe | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 4 | +1 | 6 | |
| 3 | Botswana | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 7 | 5 | +2 | 3 | |
| 4 | South Sudan | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 12 | −11 | 0 | |

### Group C

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
| 1 | Zambia | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 0 | +9 | 9 | Advance to Knockout stage |
| 2 | Uganda | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 2 | +3 | 4 | |
| 3 | Namibia | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | −2 | 4 | |
| 4 | Eswatini | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 11 | −10 | 0 | |

### Ranking of runner-up teams

| Pos | Grp | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
| 1 | A | Malawi | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 4 | +2 | 6 | Advance to Knockout stage |
| 2 | B | Zimbabwe | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 4 | +1 | 6 | |
| 3 | C | Uganda | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 2 | +3 | 4 | |

## Knockout stage
### Bracket

* In the knockout stage, extra-time and a penalty shoot-out will be used to decide the winner if necessary.
| Semi-finals | Semi-finals | Final | Final |
| 7 October—Port Elizabeth | 7 October—Port Elizabeth |
| Tanzania (p) | 1 (3) |
| Tanzania (p) | 1 (3) | 9 October—Port Elizabeth | 9 October—Port Elizabeth |
| Zambia | 1 (2) | 9 October—Port Elizabeth | 9 October—Port Elizabeth |
| Zambia | 1 (2) | Tanzania | 1 |
| 7 October—Port Elizabeth | 7 October—Port Elizabeth | | Tanzania | 1 |
| 7 October—Port Elizabeth | 7 October—Port Elizabeth | Malawi | 0 |
| South Africa | 2 | Malawi | 0 |
| Malawi | 3 | | |
| Malawi | 3 | Third Place match | Third Place match |
| | | 9 October—Port Elizabeth | 9 October—Port Elizabeth |
| | | Zambia (p) | 1 (4) |
| | | South Africa | 1 (3) |

### Final
## Overall ranking

| Rnk | Grp | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
| 1 | B | Tanzania | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 10 | 1 | +9 | 13 |
| 2 | A | Malawi | 5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 9 | 7 | +2 | 9 |
| 3 | C | Zambia | 5 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 11 | 2 | +9 | 11 |
| 4 | A | South Africa | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 8 | 6 | +2 | 8 |
| 5 | B | Zimbabwe | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 4 | +1 | 6 |
| 6 | C | Uganda | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 2 | +3 | 4 |
| 7 | C | Namibia | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | −2 | 4 |
| 8 | B | Botswana | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 7 | 5 | +2 | 3 |
| 9 | A | Angola | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 4 | −2 | 2 |
| 10 | A | Mozambique | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 8 | −3 | 1 |
| 11 | C | Eswatini | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 11 | −10 | 0 |
| 12 | B | South Sudan | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 12 | −11 | 0 |

## Statistics
### Goalscorers

There were 65 goals scored in 22 matches, for an average of 2.95 goals per match.
5 goals
* Sibulele Holweni
3 goals
* Refilwe Tholakele
* Sabinah Thom
* Stumai Athuman
* Grace Chanda
* Lubandji Ochumba
2 goals
* Cina
* Ninika
* Melinda Kgadiete
* Donisia Minja
* Mwanahamisi Shurua
* Hasifah Nassuna
* Margaret Belemu
* Rudo Neshamba
1 goal
* Ngonguinha
* Yara
* Balotlhanyi Johannes
* Masego Montsho
* Lesego Radiakanyo
* Mokgabo Thanda
* Celiwe Nkambule
* Vanessa Chikupila
* Fazila Chiyembekezo
* Zainab Kapanda
* Ireen Khumalo
* Wezzie Mvula
* Madyina Ngulube
* Goia
* Lovisa Mulunga
* Noxolo Cesane
* Chieng Riek
* Enekia Kasonga
* Aisha Masaka
* Riticia Nabbosa
* Joan Nabirye
* Sandra Nabweteme
* Esther Mukwasa
* Mary Wilombe
* Emmaculate Msipa
* Priviledge Mupeti
* Marjory Nyaumwe
* Ochumba Oseke
1 own goal
* Lushomo Mweemba (against Tanzania)

### Awards

The following awards were given at the conclusion of the tournament.
| Player of the tournament | Best goalkeeper | Top scorer |
| Amina Bilali | Petronela Musole | Sibulele Holweni |
| FIFA Fair Play Award |||
| Zambia |||