Bid on the table for BCM to host Cosafa Cup

The Buffalo City Metro could host the Cosafa Cup for the first time, with talks under way to bring the 14-nation regional football tournament — including Bafana Bafana — to KuGompo City.

The potential bid hinges on intended discussions between BCM and the Council of Southern Africa Football Associations (Cosafa), with the organisation understood to have already written to the metro regarding the possibility of staging the event in the city.

This was revealed by Safa Eastern Cape competitions chair Eric Sandile Mata, who said Cosafa was seeking a meeting with the metro’s executive leadership.

“Buffalo City, Nelson Mandela Bay and OR Tambo are municipalities that have the capacity to host big tournaments. Cosafa wants a meeting with the executive mayor,” Mata said.

“They want to bring the Cosafa games here in KuGompo City, particularly to the Sisa Dukashe Stadium.”

The Cosafa Cup is an annual regional competition featuring national teams from across Southern Africa, including Angola, Botswana, Comoros, Eswatini, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Seychelles, Zambia and Zimbabwe, alongside hosts SA.

The tournament is traditionally staged in June or July, though scheduling may be adjusted due to international competitions such as the Fifa World Cup.

SA has been a regular host of the tournament since 2017.

If the proposal materialises, it would mark the first time Buffalo City hosts the Cosafa Cup and the first international football matches in the metro since 2017, when Bafana Bafana played friendlies against Zambia and Angola at the Buffalo City Stadium.

Mbekezeli Mbokazi produced a moment of magic with a blistering strike, but that was among few highlights for Bafana Bafana as they sunk to a 2-1 friendly defeat against Panama at Cape Town Stadium on Tuesday night. The first home loss in Hugo Broos’ five years in charge might prompt the coach to ask the South African Football Association to arrange another game in or en route to North America ahead of the 2026 World Cup. A packed Cape Town Stadium was left a touch uninspired by the low energy first hour from a team on the verge of an end to a 14-year absence from the World Cup. Jose Cordoba of Championship side Norwich City opened the scoring for Panama in the 58th minute. That brought Bafana’s attack momentarily to life, as 19-year-old emerging centreback superstar Mbokazi’s beautiful strike from outside the box levelled matters in the 64th. However, it was the more experienced, 33rd-ranked Panama who engineered a winner by Jiovany Ramos in the 77th. Panama — playing with three centrebacks, two wingbacks and two defensive midfielders in an uncompromising block of seven defensively — provided the sort of tough resistance South Africa’s attack could get a decent work-out on ahead of the World Cup. Their purported Central American similarity to World Cup co-hosts Mexico, who Bafana open the tournament against in Mexico City on June 11, was a major criteria in the selection of Panama as opposition in the final Fifa international date before the showpiece. There was vital information gathered for Broos, but also some concerning questions raised. Among that, Bafana’s main striker Lyle Foster looks out of touch and Evidence Makgopa might be a better option up-front in North America. Makgopa was a half-time substitute for Foster. Oswin Appollis, Themba Zwane and Thapelo Maseko came off the bench soon after Cordoba’s opener and looked lively. Along with Bongokuhle Hlongwane in the first half, they reinforced Broos has options among skilful, goal-creating attackers. Mbokazi and Teboho Mokoena showed there is some quality in defence and midfield. Putting it all together into a unit that can match some tough opponents in a World Cup environment might be a challenge for a combination that showed naivety in these games. It was a niggling opening half of few chances as Bafana had possession but could not find a rhythm to use it effectively. South Africa edged play in an opening 20 minutes but were unable to penetrate as Panama had the first chance when Carrasquilla Alcazar’s chip into the box from central midfield found the head of Ismael Diaz, who steered his effort straight at Ronwen Williams. A similar ball in from Khuliso Mudau from the right was played for the run of Foster, who got a touch into the chest of on-rushing goalkeeper Orlando Mosquera. South Africa had their best chance of the half with two minutes to the break, as Panama’s shape rarely fell out of kilter and Mofokeng’s pass found Hlongwane free on the right, the Minnesota United attacker skewing his shot wide. Bafana’s forward momentum continued to be disappointingly flat back from the change rooms. The home side were punished when Alcazar’s free kick was half-cleared, the ball pinging around on the edge of the box before Diaz’s shot was parried by Williams. The rebound fell to substitue Cordoba to sweep past the keeper at the right post. Mbokazi, lurking on the edge of the box, received a pass from Zwane, who had been part of an attack on the right, the Chicago Fire centreback setting Cape Town Stadium alight with a missile strike past beaten Mosquera. Panama regained the lead when Puma’s corner from the right found Carlos Harvey unmarked on the left to force a save from substitute keeper Renaldo Leaner. From the loose ball, Puma crossed again and Ramos headed in at close range. TimesLIVE

The Eastern Cape has previously hosted Cosafa matches in Nelson Mandela Bay, most recently in 2024 and 2021, when Bafana Bafana won the tournament.

On those occasions, the Wolfson Stadium was primarily used for group stage matches, while the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium hosted knockout fixtures.

Earlier editions of the tournament were also staged in the province, including in 2002 when matches were held at the now-defunct Boet Erasmus Stadium.

Despite growing interest in the proposal, there is no formal confirmation yet that Buffalo City will host the tournament.

Safa Buffalo City president Prince Sibam said the regional association had not received official communication on the matter.

“We are aware of the discussions and the rumours, but there has been no formal correspondence to us as the region,” Sibam said.

A group with no clear whipping boy team seems sure to be tightly contested. Bafana Bafana will have to be at their best to get results against any of their three opponents. MEXICO As the strongest side in Central America, Mexico are perennial World Cup qualifiers — they have been at 17 of the 22 tournaments. There, they are almost always competitive, getting past the group stage nine times from their last 12 appearances; but then battle to make ground in the knockouts, with two quarterfinals their best finishes (as hosts in 1970 and 1986) amid seven last 16 exits. As co-hosts they did not play the Concacaf qualifiers, which can be a disadvantage. Star players include centrebacks César Montes (Lokomotiv Moscow) and Johan Vásquez (Genoa), Fenerbahce defensive midfielder Edson Álvarez and strikers Raúl Jiménez (Fulham) and Santiago Gimenez (AC Milan). Fifa Ranking: 15 Best World Cup finishes: Quarterfinals (1970, 1986) World Cup appearances: 17 SOUTH KOREA Always neat with clinical passing and superb organisation and quick attacking football, though perhaps lacking in the creative stakes, South Korea are hard to beat. They progressed easily past the first round of Asian qualifying, topping their four-team group. They topped their six-team second-round group undefeated (six wins and four draws) to qualify. Star players include big names in one-time prolific Tottenham Hotspur striker Son Heung-min, now at Los Angeles FC, and Bayern Munich cemtreback Kim Min-jae. Fifa Ranking: 25 Best World Cup finishes: Semifinals (2002), Last 16 (2010, 2022) World Cup appearances: 11 SOUTH AFRICA Bafana Bafana are the most inexperienced combination in Group A with three World Cup group stage exits (1998, 2002 and 2010 as hosts), and the lowest ranked (60). They will pin their hopes on a recent revival under veteran Belgian Hugo Broos and the emergence of some talented players, including Chicago Fire’s 19-year-old centreback Mbekezeli Mbokazi and Orlando Pirates playmaker Relebohile Mofokeng. Much rests on their two world class stars, goalkeeper Ronwen Williams and central midfielder Teboho Mokoena. Fifa Ranking: 60 Best World Cup finishes: Group stage (1998, 2002, 2010) World Cup appearances: 3 CZECHIA The last to reach the group with a Uefa playoff upset of Denmark last month, Czech Republic have the classic European organisation levels, pedigree and player power. They went to the playoffs, where Czechia also beat Ireland, finishing second (16 points) in an unconvincing first round group stage, behind Croatia (22) and ahead of minnows Faroe Islands, Montenegro and Gibraltar. Doughty 74-year-old Miroslav Koubek, who had just a few trophies that included the 2014-15 Czech title, was installed as a safe, experienced option and clinched qualification. Runners-up twice in the early stages of the World Cup (1934 and 1962), Czech have disappointed in the modern era despite possessing a stars of the quality of Pavel Nedved in the 1990s and 2000s, with just two qualifications since 1990, when they had their best quarterfinal placing, the other coming in 2006. Present Star players include Bayer Leverkusen striker Patrik Schick and West Ham United midfielder Tomáš Souček. Fifa Ranking: 41 Best World Cup finishes: Runners-up (1934, 1962), Quarterfinals (1990) World Cup appearances: 9 TimesLIVE, Sowetan, The Herald and Daily Dispatch will profile a 2026 WORLD CUP GROUP every Tuesday until the tournament’s June 11 kickoff. Also catch the STAR PLAYER profile every Friday.

Provincial government spokesperson Andile Nduna said the province had also not been approached.

“The last time they did was when the competition was in Gqeberha,” Nduna said.

“They approached us late even then, and it was not in our budget for that year.”

Buffalo City Metro spokesperson Bongani Fuzile did not respond to questions.

Cosafa media manager Lynda Greef could not respond to queries by the time of publication.

While uncertainty remains over whether the bid will materialise, business and tourism stakeholders have welcomed the possibility, citing the potential economic impact of hosting a major sporting event.

Black Business Forum president Luthando Bara said the tournament could have “meaningful economic and social implications” for the region.

“The arrival of such a tournament in KuGompo City is not merely a sporting decision; it is a strategic economic intervention with the potential to unlock economic growth and job creation,” Bara said.

“It will introduce direct economic participation for local businesses, especially key tourism products such as accommodation, caterers, eateries, transport operators, informal traders, among others.

“This will represent a shift away from the traditional concentration of opportunities in established urban centres toward historically overlooked areas’”

Bara said major sporting events often catalysed infrastructure upgrades, including improvements to roads, facilities and public spaces, which could support longer-term economic activity.

“Hosting a tournament of this magnitude repositions the area as a viable destination for investment, tourism and large-scale events.

“It presents an opportunity to reshape perceptions and tell a new story about the city,” he said.

Women in Tourism Eastern Cape provincial chair Thandi Mkhanzana said the sector, which had not fully recovered from the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, stood to benefit from increased visitor numbers.

“Hosting such an event in Buffalo City will have many positive economic spin-offs for many in the sector,” she said.

Mkhanzana said tourism stakeholders in the metro were engaging with authorities on upcoming events, including preparations linked to the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup matches scheduled for 2027 in KuGompo City.

Bafana Bafana will go to the World Cup in North America with plenty of questions still needing answering after their two soccer friendlies against Panama revealed serious concerns. This comes as the SA senior men’s team were held to a 1-1 draw before losing 2-1 against the Central American outfit, whose selection as opponents was criticised in some circles. With coach Hugo Broos insisting Panama would be ideal preparations for Bafana’s opening World Cup clash against co-hosts Mexico on June 11, the matches exposed shortcomings in his side which will be ruthlessly punished if he does not resolve them urgently. It has sparked calls for Bafana to get in at least one more friendly before their group A opener, which was completed this week when Czech Republic stunned favourites Denmark in playoffs to join South Korea as the fourth team. While there were positives such as the continued evolution of centre-back Mbekezeli Mbokazi, whose thunderbolt equaliser was world-class, Broos’s troops showed worrying tendencies of thinking ball possession is tantamount to winning games. Panama were just happy to let them have the ball while maintaining a well-structured disciplined shape. The visitors only struck when given a chance, which made the hosts panic when under pressure. The fact that Bafana seem to be focusing only on preparing for Mexico while ignoring other teams in the group is another anomaly which might come back to bite them At world-level ball possession means nothing if it is not use it to create chances because a soccer match is not similar to boxing, where dominance counts towards a victory. Bafana also displayed reactionary tendencies, beginning to play only in response to what the opposition did. This was demonstrated by them only showing urgency after Panama had scored in both friendlies. This will be ruthlessly punished at world level and Broos will need to correct it, if it is not already too late. The fact that Bafana seem to be focusing only on preparing for Mexico while ignoring other teams in the group is another anomaly which might come back to bite them. Having declared before the two friendlies that his team would be a surprise package at the showpiece, one hopes that Broos was watching Czech Republic against Denmark. There is also the South Korea threat, whose style of play based on running soccer will test the Bafana resolve. However, Broos shot down a possibility of getting a friendly match against a side with a similar style to Czech Republic and South Korea, citing different climatic conditions in Mexico. One thing that is clear is that Bafana still have their work cut out ahead of their return to the showpiece in which they last competed in 2010, ironically when Mexico were their opening opponents. Click here to join the Daily Dispatch’s WhatsApp channel and get the latest news delivered straight to your phone Daily Dispatch

Border-Kei Chamber of Business director Lizelle Maurice said major sporting events were key drivers of economic activity.

“When players come, families, officials, fans and supporters will also come,” Maurice said.

“Our airport, BnBs, restaurants and many other businesses would be busy.

“If the metro can position itself as a sporting hub, that would be a step in the right direction in growing the region’s economic potential.”

Buffalo City is already set to host matches during the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup in 2027, and stakeholders say securing the Cosafa Cup would further strengthen its position as a destination for major sporting events.

In 2025, the Cosafa Cup was held in Bloemfontein, where Angola defeated Bafana Bafana 3-0 in the final at the Free State Stadium.

Whether Buffalo City secures hosting rights will depend on the outcome of discussions between Cosafa, the metro and provincial authorities in the coming weeks.

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