THE winners of this year’s Cosafa Castle Cup will pocket N$550 000 while the runners-up will earn N$280 000.
According to Sue Destombes, the tournament co-ordinator, the sponsors will spend a whopping N$188 million on prize money for the thirteen teams that lock horns every year in the regional tournament. “The tournament semi-finalists each earn N$120 000 from the tournament’s sponsors, Castle Lager,” Destombes said from Johannesburg.”Participants in the mini group tournament will also receive prize money.The runners-up in the groups will get N$100 000, the third-place winners N$90 000 and the fourth-place finishers N$80 000.”This year, the battle starts in April with a mini-tournament in Lesotho in which Group A teams – Mauritius, Angola, Lesotho and Mozambique – fight for the single ticket to the semi-finals.According to the draw, World Cup virgins Angola will lock horns with Mauritius on April 29 in the first match of this year’s showdown.The match will be followed by a Lesotho-Mozambique tie on the same day.The following day will see a clash of winners from the two encounters, with the winners joining defending champions Zimbabwe in the semi-finals scheduled for August and September.Group B teams – Botswana, South Africa, Madagascar and Swaziland – will gather in Botswana in May to fight for the other semi-final ticket.Namibia, which hosted last year’s Group B teams, will again host one of this year’s mini-tournaments after being selected to host Group C matches between Zambia, Malawi, Seychelles and the home team.-Nampa”The tournament semi-finalists each earn N$120 000 from the tournament’s sponsors, Castle Lager,” Destombes said from Johannesburg.”Participants in the mini group tournament will also receive prize money.The runners-up in the groups will get N$100 000, the third-place winners N$90 000 and the fourth-place finishers N$80 000.”This year, the battle starts in April with a mini-tournament in Lesotho in which Group A teams – Mauritius, Angola, Lesotho and Mozambique – fight for the single ticket to the semi-finals.According to the draw, World Cup virgins Angola will lock horns with Mauritius on April 29 in the first match of this year’s showdown.The match will be followed by a Lesotho-Mozambique tie on the same day.The following day will see a clash of winners from the two encounters, with the winners joining defending champions Zimbabwe in the semi-finals scheduled for August and September.Group B teams – Botswana, South Africa, Madagascar and Swaziland – will gather in Botswana in May to fight for the other semi-final ticket.Namibia, which hosted last year’s Group B teams, will again host one of this year’s mini-tournaments after being selected to host Group C matches between Zambia, Malawi, Seychelles and the home team.-Nampa
