The Council of Southern African Football Associations (COSAFA) held their Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Johannesburg on Saturday where the organisation was able to reflect on a successful 2019 and plot a way forward for the next 12 months.

COSAFA hosted a record six tournaments in 2019, including first ever Under-20 and Under-17 Women’s Championships, and provided numerous workshops across all spheres of the game to upskill players, coaches, match officials and administrators from all around the region.

These successes were dissected

The AGM was led by President Philip Chiyangwa, with several pressing matters pertaining to Southern African football robustly discussed and resolutions made:

• The Audited Financial Statements up to September 2019 were scrutinised and approved by the General Assembly.

 

• The General Assembly also ratified the COSAFA tournament plan for 2020, which is as follows:1. Women’s Under-17 Championship – Port Louis, Mauritius (April)
  2. Men’s Senior Championship – Durban*, South Africa (June 13-27)
  3. Men’s Under-17 Championship – Blantyre, Malawi (July 22-August 1)
  4. Women’s Senior Championship – Port Elizabeth, South Africa (September 11-23)
  5. Women’s Under-20 Championship – Maseru, Lesotho (December 2-12)
  6. Men’s Under-20 Championship – Port Louis, Mauritius (December 3-12)
  *Venue to be confirmed
  
  There is also the hope that a Women’s Under-17 Beach Soccer tournament can be held in Seychelles from October 19-25, but this is dependent on sponsorship. There is also the possibility of a Men’s Futsal competition at a venue and date that has yet to be determined.

 

• The COSAFA Disciplinary and Ethics Codes have also been approved by General Assembly.

 

There were also two presentations made, the first by Spain’s LaLiga, who are seeking to extend their partnership with COSAFA to continue to help develop grassroots football in the Southern African region.

LaLiga have become a valued partner in creating opportunities for young footballers through the supply of equipment and expertise during COSAFA’s Youth Festivals that are held at every tournament.

There was also a presentation from Zimbabwe Olympic Committee medical commissioner Nicholas Munyonga, who is chairman of the Africa Zone VI Regional Anti-Doping Organisation.

Dr Munyonga gave details of how the organisation seeks to keep football ‘drug-free’ through their various initiatives around the region.