Semifinal line-up complete at HollywoodBets Cosafa cup

Defending champions Angola will meet Madagascar and hosts South Africa will face Comoros after the semi-final line-up was completed at the HollywoodBets Cosafa Cup with the final matches in Groups C and D in Mangaung, Bloemfontein on Wednesday.

The semifinals will take place on Friday, with Angola and Madagascar locking horns at 3pm CAT and South Africa clashing with Comoros at 6pm CAT.

Both games are at the Toyota Stadium. Botswana were within minutes of taking top spot in Group D, but a penalty from Joseph Phiri for Zambia earned a 3-3 draw for Chipolopolo and denied the Zebras a semifinal place, much to the delight of Comoros. 

Botswana raced into a 2-0 lead as goals from Thatayaone Kgamanyane and Serati Semadi (penalty) put them in the driving seat, before Zambia roared back top level the game at 2-2. Charles Zulu converted a penalty and Tinklar Sakala added a second early in the second half.

It was anybody’s game after that, but Botswana looked to have booked their semifinal place thanks to Thabo Maponda’s goal on the hour-mark. But when they conceded a penalty in injury-time, Phiri converted to dash their semifinal dreams.  

Eswatini missed out on top spot in Group C as they were defeated 2-1 by East African guest nation Tanzania, a result that meant Madagascar advance to the semifinals.

Eswatini lead through Andy Magagula just before the half-hour mark, but they could not hold on for the win.

Iddy Nado equalised for Tanzania and Shekhani Khamis found a winner for them in the second half.    

The semifinals will be streamed live on FIFA+, and you can follow the tournament at the dedicated HollywoodBets Cosafa Cup 2025 page.

WEDNESDAY’S RESULTS

Group C – Toyota Stadium

Eswatini 1 (Magagula 29’) Tanzania 2 (Nado 37’, Khamis 69’)

Group D – Dr Petrus Molemela Stadium

Botswana 3 (Kgamanyane 2’, Semadi 32’pen, Maponda 60’) Zambia 3 (Zulu

45+4pen’, Sakala 53’, J. Phiri 90’pen)

FRIDAY FIXTURES

Semifinals – Toyota Stadium

Angola vs Madagascar (KO 3pm CAT)

South Africa vs Comoros (KO 6pm CAT)

TOURNAMENT STATS

Matches Played: 18

Goals scored: 31

Biggest victory: Angola 4 Lesotho 0 (Group B, June 8)

Most goals in a game: 6 – Botswana 3 Zambia 3 (Group D, June 11) 

GOALSCORERS

4 goals – Depu (Angola)

2 – Andy Magagula (Eswatini), Thandolwenkosi Ngwenya (Zimbabwe)

1 – Leonel Calsao (Mozambique), Kabelo Dlamini (South Africa), Sisqo Haraseb

(Namibia), Joslin Kamatuka (Namibia), Ivan Kamberipa (Namibia), Thatayaone

Kgamanyane (Botswana), Shekhani Khamis (Tanzania), Lalaina (Madagascar), Ibrahim

Madi (Comoros), Junior Makunike (Zimbabwe), Thabo Maponda (Botswana), Bethuel

Muzeu (Namibia), Makara Ntaitsane (Lesotho), Iddy Nado (Tanzania), Randy Nteka

(Angola), Ime Okon (South Africa), Joseph Phiri (Zambia), Toky Rakotondraibe

(Madagascar), Tinklar Sakala (Zambia), Serati Semadi (Botswana), Antonio Sumbane

(Mozambique), Vidinho (Angola), Charles Zulu (Zambia)