The Council of Southern Africa Football Associations (COSAFA) has confirmed that Tanzania will replace Morocco at the upcoming 2025 HOLLYWOODBETS COSAFA Cup, set to take place from June 4–15 in Mangaung | Bloemfontein, South Africa.
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Tanzania steps into Group C, following Morocco’s withdrawal from the regional showpiece. The East African guests will now compete alongside Madagascar and Eswatini in the three-team group, with adjustments made to the match schedule accordingly.
Tanzania will take Morocco’s place in the three-team Group C, which has necessitated a tweak to the fixtures,” COSAFA announced in an official press release.
The Taifa Stars will begin their campaign on June 7 against Madagascar at Toyota Stadium (kick-off: 18h00 local / 16h00 GMT) and return to the same venue on June 11 to face Eswatini (kick-off: 15h00 local / 13h00 GMT).
According to COSAFA, the tournament will serve as critical preparation for Tanzania ahead of several major continental and international engagements.
“Tanzania will see the competition as vital preparation for the TotalEnergies CAF African Nations Championship finals they co-host with Kenya and Uganda in August,” the statement reads.
Tanzania also plans to use the tournament to fine-tune their squad ahead of the final rounds of the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers in September, and the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations finals in Morocco later this year.
This will not be Tanzania’s first appearance at the COSAFA Cup. They made their debut in the inaugural edition in 1997, finishing fourth in a round-robin format after three draws from four matches.
They returned in 2015, but endured a disappointing campaign, losing all three of their group-stage fixtures. However, they bounced back in 2017 with a memorable run, eliminating hosts South Africa in the quarterfinals before losing to Zambia in the semifinals. Tanzania then beat Lesotho on penalties to claim the bronze medal.
The Taifa Stars have also qualified for three editions of the Africa Cup of Nations — in 1980, 2019, and 2023 — underlining their rising stature in African football.
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