When Zambia plays Lesotho in the 2023 Cosafa Cup final at the King Zwelithini Stadium on the evening of Sunday, July 16, they will be vying for a record-breaking seventh championship.
The Warriors and Chipolopolo, the defending regional champions, are tied with six victories each.
The Chipolopolo earned their chance to pass the Warriors on the all-time list with a come-from-behind 2-1 victory over host South Africa on Friday night.
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Tshegofatso Mabasa’s first goal for Bafana Bafana put Zambia in the hole, but goals from Golden Mashata and Albert Kangwanda in the second half clinched victory for a squad that will finish as either the champions or runners-up of the Cosafa Cup for a record-extending 13th time.
Due to their victory over Malawi in a penalty shootout in the semifinals, Lesotho qualified for the championship match.
Thaba Ntso and Chawangwa Kaonga each scored once as Likuena and the Flames drew 1-1 after 90 minutes on Friday.
Sekhoane Moerane, the Lesotho goalie, took charge of the shootout by making three saves and scoring the game-winning penalty kick for a 3-0 victory.
The Cosafa Cup has never been won by Likuena, who will be making just their second finals trip overall and their first since 2000.
Lesotho and Zambia have faced off 13 times in head-to-head competition since 1972. With two games being drawn, Chipolopolo has nine victories against Likuena’s two.
The teams last competed in back-to-back qualifiers for the Africa Cup of Nations in March of this year, with Zambia winning 3-1 at home in Ndola and 2-0 “away” at Soweto, South Africa (due to the absence of CAF-approved venues in Lesotho).