Hollywoodbets Cosafa Women’s Championship set for lift-off 

The Hollywoodbets Cosafa Women’s Championship 2025 kicks off in Polokwane on Wednesday, bringing together 11 teams for what promises to be a highly competitive regional championship just ahead of the TotalEnergies CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (Wafcon) that starts next month.

The 13th edition of the tournament will again serve as a major platform for the women’s game in the region and a timely test for several sides with bigger continental objectives ahead, with the final to be played on March 1.

Only the three pool winners and the best runner-up will advance to the semi-finals, a format that leaves little margin for error, especially in the three-team Group C where every match carries extra weight.

Matches will be streamed live globally on Fifa+ and Cosafa’s YouTube channel, ensuring supporters across the world can follow every key moment as the chase for semi-final places intensifies.

The opening day sets the tone immediately, with Lesotho meeting Angola at the Old Peter Mokaba Stadium (kick-off 12h00 CAT; 10h00 GMT) before hosts South Africa face Malawi at the same venue at 15h00 CAT (13h00 GMT), as early points could prove pivotal in the race for first place and the best runner-up position.

South Africa remains the competition’s most successful nation with seven titles, but they have not lifted the trophy since 2020 and will be eager to change that on home soil.

Malawi, meanwhile, continue an upward trajectory after emerging as champions in 2023 and will see this tournament as another chance to measure themselves against the region’s elite.

Both sides have qualified for the TotalEnergies CAF Wafcon, along with two-time Hollywoodbets Cosafa Women’s Championship winners Zambia.

The defending champion Copper Queens arrive in Polokwane with confidence after their dramatic penalty-shootout win over South Africa in the 2024 final, and their presence adds extra edge to a Group B that also includes Botswana, Eswatini and Zimbabwe.

Group C brings a different kind of intrigue, featuring Mozambique, Namibia and Madagascar, three sides capable of making a run if they hit form early.

Across the tournament, fans can also look out for the next breakout performer, with this competition helping to launch players to global fame in the past.

The likes of South Africa’s Thembi Kgatlana, Barbra Banda from Zambia and the Chawinga sisters from Malawi have all used the Hollywoodbets Cosafa Women’s Championship to raise their profile in the early years.

“The Hollywoodbets Cosafa Women’s Championship is a powerful reflection of how far women’s football in the region has come, and we’re proud to play a role in that journey,” says Morgan Shandu, Head of Operations at Hollywoodbets. 

“The championship provides a vital competitive platform for teams to uncover new stars and elevate the women’s game to the next level. Our commitment goes beyond sponsorship, it’s about investing in the growth, visibility, and long-term sustainability of women’s football at every level.”

For South Africa, Zambia and Malawi, the tournament will provide vital preparation for their TotalEnergies CAF Wafcon 2026 campaigns, with the continental finals scheduled to take place from March 17 to April 3.

The TotalEnergies CAF Wafcon 2026 is a vital tournament, as the four semi-finalists will automatically secure qualification for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil.

But beyond that, the Hollywoodbets Cosafa Women’s Championship 2025 will be another exciting instalment of a competition that has captured the imagination of fans across the region since it was first played in 2002.

There is no doubt that this tournament, along with the regular staging of other Cosafa women’s and girls’ competitions, has been a catalyst for the success of national teams from the region.

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