Council of Southern Africa Football Associations (Cosafa) has announced that it will set new dates for the 2024 Cosafa Cup in due course.
Cosafa released a statement Tuesday, when it indicated that it made the decision after discussions with stakeholders.
“The Southern African Championship is crucial for the development of teams, players and coaches, and we want to make sure they are able to derive maximum benefit from it. The new dates will be in June or July and will be based on the best possible exposure for all stakeholders to ensure a world-class competition that helps take football in the region forward,” the statement reads.
Earlier, Football Association of Malawi (Fam) indicated that it was in the dark on dates for this year’s Cosafa Men’s Senior Championship to be staged in Durban, South Africa.
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Initially, dates for the regional showpiece clashed with those of the 2026 Fifa World Cup qualifiers as it was scheduled for June 12 to 23.
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However, Fam General Secretary Alfred Gunda said the association was waiting for official communication on the issue.
“We are yet to be communicated to on the dates. At the moment, all we are doing is waiting for official communication on the dates,” Gunda said.
For the first time, Fam will send a developmental team to the Cosafa Cup.
The association has already appointed FCB Nyasa Big Bullets Coach Kalisto Pasuwa to lead the Malawi Under-23 National Football Team at this year’s Cosafa Cup.
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However, Fam will announce the full technical panel in due course.
The Flames finished fourth under the tutelage of Patrick Mabedi at the 2023 Cosafa Cup following a 5-3 post-match penalties loss to hosts South Africa at King Zwelithini Stadium in Durban.
It was the first time in 20 years for Malawi to reach the semi-finals of the competition.
However, Mabedi will not be in charge of the team as Fam is pondering on revising his targets.
The previous Fam leadership tasked Mabedi to win the Cosafa Cup.
Cosafa announced in April that Video Assistant Referee would be used at this year’s tournament after the regional football governing body acquired the equipment.
