| Organiser: | COSAFA |
| Founded: | 1983 |
| Region: | Southern Africa |
| Number Of Teams: | 16 |
| Current Champions: | (4th title) |
| Most Successful Team: | (7 titles) |
| Current: | 2024 COSAFA Cup |
The COSAFA Cup (known fully as COSAFA Senior Challenge Cup) is an annual tournament for teams from Southern Africa organized by Council of Southern Africa Football Associations (COSAFA), inaugurated after the ban against the Republic of South Africa had been lifted and the African Cup of Nations had been staged there in 1996.
The following teams have participated in the tournament in the past: Angola, Botswana, Comoros, Eswatini (Swaziland), Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Seychelles, South Africa, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. Additionally, seven non-COSAFA members have competed: Democratic Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Ghana, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda and Senegal. Zambia has won the most titles with seven wins, followed by Zimbabwe with six wins. Zambia has been the most prolific side in the competition failing to reach the top 4 only four times since the tournament's inception. The first editions of the competition were a knockout tournament staged over several months. As the competition grew, it transformed into a series of mini-tournaments.[1]
The 2010 COSAFA Senior Challenge was to be the 14th edition of the football tournament that involves teams from Southern Africa. In July 2010 it was confirmed that Angola would host the competition.[2] The 2010 edition of the competition was cancelled in October, 2010.[3] COSAFA stated that the Angolan authorities did not give enough guarantees to host the tournament.
| Year | Host | Final | Third Place Match | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winner | Score | Runner-up | 3rd Place | Score | 4th Place | ||||
| 1997 Details | Home/away | ||||||||
| 1998 Details | Home/away | ||||||||
| 1999 Details | Home/away | 1–0 1–1 | and | ||||||
| 2000 Details | Home/away | 3–0 3–0 | and | ||||||
| 2001 Details | Home/away | 0–0 1–0 | 2–1 | ||||||
| 2002 Details | Home/away | 3–1 1–0 | and | ||||||
| 2003 Details | Home/away | 2–1 2–0 | and | ||||||
| 2004 Details | Various hosts | 0–0 (5–4 pen.) | and | ||||||
| 2005 Details |  Mauritius Namibia South Africa Zambia | 1–0 | and | ||||||
| 2006 Details | Various hosts | 2–0 | and | ||||||
| 2007 Details |  Botswana Mozambique South Africa Swaziland | 0–0 (4–3 pen.) | and | ||||||
| 2008 Details | South Africa | 2–1 | 2–0 | ||||||
| 2009 Details |  Zimbabwe | 3–1 | 1–0 | ||||||
| 2010 |  Angola | Cancelled[4] | Cancelled | ||||||
| 2013 Details | Zambia | 2–0 | 2–1 | ||||||
| 2015 Details | South Africa | 2–0 | 2–1 | ||||||
| 2016 Details | Namibia | 3–2 | 1–0 | ||||||
| 2017 Details | South Africa | 3–1 | 0–0 (4–2 pen.) | ||||||
| 2018 Details | South Africa | 4–2 | 1–0 | ||||||
| 2019 Details | South Africa | 1–0 | 2–2 (5–4 pen.) | ||||||
| 2021 Details | South Africa | 0–0 (5–4 pen.) | 1–1 (4–2 pen.) | ||||||
| 2022 Details | South Africa | 1–0 | 1–1 (4–2 pen.) | ||||||
| 2023 Details | South Africa | 1–0 | 0–0 (5–3 pen.) | ||||||
| 2024 Details | South Africa | 5–0 | 2–2 (3–1 pen.) | ||||||
| width=110 | Team | Winners | Runners-up | Third Place | Fourth Place | Semi-finalists | Top 4 Finishes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| bgcolor=gold | 7 (1997, 1998, 2006, 2013, 2019, 2022, 2023) | bgcolor=silver | 6 (2004, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2017, 2018) | 1 (2008) | 1 (2001) | 3 (1999, 2002, 2003) | 18 | |
| bgcolor=gold | 6 (2000, 2003, 2005, 2009, 2017, 2018) | bgcolor=silver | 3 (1998, 2001, 2013) | 1 (2019) | 2 (2004, 2006) | 12 | ||
| bgcolor=gold | 5 (2002, 2007, 2008, 2016, 2021) | 2 (2013, 2023) | 1 (2009) | 2 (2000, 2005) | 10 | |||
| bgcolor=gold | 4 (1999, 2001, 2004, 2024) | bgcolor=silver | 1 (2006) | 1 (1998) | 2 (2000, 2005) | 8 | ||
| bgcolor=gold | 1 (2015) | bgcolor=silver | 4 (1997, 1999, 2022, 2024) | 1 (1998) | 6 | |||
| bgcolor=silver | 2 (2008, 2015) | 3 (1997, 2009, 2024) | 2 (2021, 2022) | 2 (2004, 2007) | 9 | |||
| bgcolor=silver | 2 (2002, 2003) | 1 (2001) | 1 (2023) | 4 | ||||
| bgcolor=silver | 2 (2016, 2019) | 1 (2015) | 2 (2006, 2007) | 5 | ||||
| bgcolor=silver | 2 (2000, 2023) | 1 (2018) | 3 (2013, 2017, 2019) | 6 | ||||
| bgcolor=silver | 1 (2021) | 1 (2022) | 2 | |||||
| 2 (2016, 2021) | 3 (1999, 2002, 2003) | 5 | ||||||
| 1 (2015) | 2 (2008, 2018) | 3 | ||||||
| 1 (2017) | 1 (1997) | 2 | ||||||
| 1 (2016) | 1 | |||||||
| 1 (2024) | 1 |
| Team | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 20102 | 2013 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| align=left | – | 3rd | 1st | SF | 1st | QF | 1R | 1st | SF | 2nd | 1R | QF | QF | x | QF | – | GS | GS | GS | ––1 | – | GS | GS | 1st | 19 | |
| align=left | 1R | 1R | 2R | 1R | 1R | 1R | QF | QF | 1R | SF | SF | QF | QF | x | GS | 4th | 2nd | QF | QF | 2nd | GS | QF | GS | GS | 23 | |
| align=left | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | GS | GS | x | – | – | – | – | GS | QF | ––1 | GS | GS | 4th | 7 | |
| align=left | 1R | 1R | SF | QF | QF | SF | SF | QF | 1R | 1R | 1R | GS | GS | x | GS | GS | 3rd | QF | QF | GS | 3rd | GS | GS | 23 | ||
| align=left | 1R | 1R | QF | 2nd | QF | 1R | 1R | 1R | 1R | 1R | 1R | GS | GS | x | 4th | GS | QF | 4th | 3rd | 4th | GS | GS | 2nd | GS | 23 | |
| align=left | – | – | – | –– | – | QF | QF | 1R | 1R | 1R | 1R | 4th | ––1 | x | – | 3rd | GS | GS | 4th | – | ––1 | – | – | 12 | ||
| align=left | 5th | 1R | 2R | QF | SF | 2nd | 2nd | QF | 1R | 1R | 1R | GS | QF | x | QF | QF | GS | GS | GS | QF | GS | GS | 4th | – | 22 | |
| align=left | – | – | – | 1R | QF | 1R | 1R | QF | 1R | 1R | 1R | GS | GS | x | GS | GS | GS | GS | GS | GS | – | GS | GS | – | 18 | |
| align=left | 3rd | 5th | QF | 1R | 1R | QF | QF | SF | 1R | 1R | SF | 2nd | 3rd | x | QF | 2nd | QF | GS | GS | GS | 4th | 4th | GS | 3rd | 23 | |
| align=left | 2nd | 4th | 2nd | QF | 1R | 1R | 1R | 1R | 1R | 1R | 1R | QF | QF | x | QF | 1st | QF | QF | QF | GS | GS | 2nd | GS | 2nd | 23 | |
| align=left | – | – | – | –– | – | – | – | – | 1R | 1R | 1R | GS | GS | x | GS | GS | GS | GS | GS | GS | – | GS | GS | GS | 14 | |
| align=left | – | 1R | QF | SF | QF | 1st | QF | 1R | SF | 1R | 1st | 1st | 4th | x | 3rd | QF | 1st | QF | QF | QF | 1st | QF | 3rd | GS | 22 | |
| align=left | 1st | 1st | SF | QF | SF | SF | SF | 2nd | 2nd | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 2nd | x | 1st | QF | QF | 2nd | 2nd | 1st | GS | 1st | 1st | GS | 23 | |
| align=left | 1R | 2nd | QF | 1st | 2nd | QF | 1st | SF | 1st | SF | 1R | QF | 1st | x | 2nd | GS | GS | 1st | 1st | 3rd | GS | – | – | GS | 21 | |
| Guest Nations | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| align=left | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 4th | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | |
| align=left | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | ––1 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 0 | |
| align=left | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | QF | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | |
| align=left | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | GS | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | GS | 2 | |
| align=left | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 2nd | 3rd | – | 2 | ||
| align=left | 4th | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | ––1 | GS | – | 3rd | – | – | – | – | – | – | 3 | |
| align=left | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | QF | – | – | – | – | 1 | |
| Total | 9 | 10 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 13 | 0 (14) | 13 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 10 | 14 | 12 | 12 | ||
1 Withdrew from tournament.
2 Tournament not played.
COSAFA Cup invitees are included in the table with blue.
| Rank | width=250 | Team | Part | M | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 21 | 63 | 32 | 22 | 10 | 93 | 48 | +45 | 117 | ||
| 2 | 20 | 59 | 34 | 17 | 8 | 100 | 49 | +51 | 113 | ||
| 3 | 20 | 55 | 30 | 19 | 6 | 77 | 29 | +48 | 109 | ||
| 4 | 21 | 59 | 23 | 17 | 19 | 76 | 62 | +14 | 86 | ||
| 5 | 21 | 61 | 19 | 15 | 24 | 59 | 70 | -11 | 75 | ||
| 6 | 21 | 53 | 20 | 16 | 17 | 65 | 57 | +8 | 73 | ||
| 7 | 17 | 43 | 18 | 15 | 12 | 47 | 37 | +10 | 68 | ||
| 8 | 21 | 59 | 16 | 20 | 23 | 61 | 71 | -10 | 68 | ||
| 9 | 21 | 51 | 15 | 17 | 19 | 52 | 50 | +2 | 62 | ||
| 10 | 21 | 53 | 14 | 15 | 24 | 50 | 74 | -24 | 57 | ||
| 11 | 12 | 36 | 14 | 8 | 14 | 39 | 38 | +1 | 50 | ||
| 12 | 18 | 40 | 8 | 8 | 24 | 25 | 57 | -32 | 32 | ||
| 13 | 6 | 18 | 4 | 3 | 11 | 14 | 28 | -14 | 15 | ||
| 14 | 13 | 19 | 1 | 6 | 27 | 19 | 64 | -45 | 9 | ||
| 15 | 2 | 9 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 13 | 12 | +1 | 13 | ||
| 16 | 3 | 13 | 2 | 6 | 5 | 10 | 15 | -5 | 12 | ||
| 17 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | ||
| 18 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 5 | -4 | 0 | ||
| 19 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 4 | +1 | 4 | ||
| 20 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | ||
| 21 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Peter Ndlovu of Zimbabwe and Manuel 'Tico-Tico' Bucuane of Mozambique are all-time top goalscorers in the tournament with ten goals each. In 2021 Felix Badenhorst of Eswatini moved into second position with nine goals.[5]
| Year | Player | Goals | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | Tauya Mrewa Peter Ndlovu Shepherd Muradzikwa Benjamin Nkonjera | 2 | |
| 1999 | Betinho | 3 | |
| 2000 | Luke Petros Delron Buckley | 2 | |
| 2001 | 18 players tied | 1 | |
| 2002 | Mfanzile Dlamini Rotson Kilambe Teboho Mokoena Siza Dlamini Patrick Mayo | 2 | |
| 2003 | Peter Ndlovu Noel Mwandila  Russel Mwafulirwa | 2 | |
| 2004 | Peter Ndlovu | 3 | |
| 2005 | Collins Mbesuma | 4 | |
| 2006 | Fabrice Akwa | 3 | |
| 2007 | Paulin Voavy | 3 | |
| 2008 | Phillip Zialor | 4 | |
| 2009 | Cuthbert Malajila | 4 | |
| 2013 | Jerome Ramatlhakwane | 4 | |
| 2015 | Sarivahy Vombola | 5 | |
| 2016 | Felix Badenhorst | 5 | |
| 2017 | Ovidy Karuru | 6 | |
| 2018 | Onkabetse Makgantai | 5 | |
| 2019 | Gabadinho Mhango Gerald Phiri Jr. Ashley Nazira | 3 | |
| 2021 | Sepana Letsoalo | 4 | |
| 2022 | Sabelo Ndzinisa | 3 |
Kabelo