Zambia win seventh Cosafa title as Bafana settle for bronze
Wisdom Moyela Libamba secured the sole goal as Zambia clinched a record-breaking seventh Cosafa Cup title with a 1-0 triumph over Lesotho in an exhilarating final held at a packed King Zwelithini Stadium in Durban on Sunday.
The decider was intense and hard-fought, with both teams having equal chances. However, the defending champions, Zambia, successfully defended their crown, surpassing Zimbabwe on the all-time winners' list.
Lesotho had aspirations of becoming the sixth nation to claim the highly sought-after Southern African title. However, similar to their previous and only final appearance in 2000, they had to settle for the silver medal.
Zambia - 7
Zimbabwe - 6
South Africa - 5
Angola - 3
Namibia - 1
In the second half, Lesotho believed they had taken the lead when Motebang Sera found the back of the net, a goal that would have brought him within one goal of Felix Badenhorst (nine) in the all-time top scorers' chart in the Cosafa Cup.
Unfortunately, it was disallowed due to a tight offside call, highlighting the slim margins between success and failure.
Consequently, it was Zambia's moment to rejoice as Libamba rose powerfully to head home a corner in the 78th minute, ultimately proving to be the pivotal moment of the game.
Meanwhile, Bafana Bafana defeated Malawi 5-3 in a penalty shootout to secure the bronze medal at the regional tournament.
Malawi dominated the first half, exerting significant pressure on South Africa's makeshift defense. Bafana stand-in coach Morena Ramoreboli started with two teenagers, Puso Dithejane as wing-back and Siyabonga Gumede as right centre-back.
Ramoreboli made multiple changes during half-time, substituting both teenagers and striker Victor Letsoalo, and introducing captain Lyle Lakay, Iqraam