South Africa’s Bafana Bafana have named the final squad for the 2024 COSAFA Cup to be hosted in Gqeberha from 26 June to 7 July.

Head coach Helman Mkhalele had earlier announced an enlarged 51-member preliminary squad for this year’s edition of the regional tournament which he whittled down to 25.

The draw was conducted last Friday and hosts Bafana Bafana were pitted against Botswana, Mozambique and Eswatini in Group A. The pool games will be played from 26 June to 3 July 2024, with the semifinals on 5 July and the final and third-place play-off on 7 July.

For the second year in a row the tournament will kick-off with a clash between Eswatini and Botswana, though on this occasion it will be at the iconic Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Gqeberha.

The fixture at 15h00 CAT is a repeat of last year’s opener, where a goal from Lebogang Ditsele helped Botswana to a 1-0 win. Hosts South Africa will meet Mozambique in the second Group A clash at the same venue, which has a 18h00 kick-off.

That is sure to be a feisty tie between the neighbours, and a fascinating fixture between two sides who love to attack. Zimbabwe return to the prestigious regional showpiece competition for the first time since 2021 and open their Group B campaign against Comoros on June 27 (kick-off 15h00). That match will also be at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium.

There will be a heavyweight clash between record seven-time winners, and defending champions, Zambia when they take on East African guest nation Kenya on the same day at 18h00. Kenya will be making their second COSAFA Cup appearance having debuted in 2013 when they went out in the pool stages.

Kenya will be the fifth highest ranked side in the tournament and have made a solid start to their 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification campaign with a win and two draws from their four games to date.

The first games in Group C are also at the iconic 2010 FIFA World Cup venue as last year’s beaten finalists Lesotho take on Seychelles at 15h00 and Angola face-off against Namibia at 18h00.