Fungai Muderere
The Council of Southern African Football Associations (Cosafa) has revealed that it will hold its inaugural annual awards that will honour players, coaches, and various other stakeholders from the region.
The award winners will be unveiled at a dinner on April 19 in South Africa, as the event pays homage to the best performers, on and off the pitch, for 2023.
“COSAFA has long envisaged having our own awards ceremony to pay tribute to those who continue to shine a positive light on the game in our region,” said Cosafa president Artur de Almeida e Silva.
“Southern Africa has long been a leader on the continent for excellence and this is a way to highlight the achievements of not just players and coaches, but also those who lay the foundations for success with the hard work and dedication they put into the game.
“It is important that we celebrate our achievements and inspire the next generation of players, coaches, referees and administrators so that we can continue to grow the game in the region,” he added.
It was also revealed that the awards are open to all players and coaches from Cosafa’s 14-member associations, no matter where they ply their trade in the world.
The awards categories are Cosafa Men’s Player of the Year, Cosafa Women’s Player of the Year, Cosafa Men’s Goalkeeper of the Year, Cosafa Women’s Goalkeeper of the Year, Cosafa Men’s Most Promising Player of the Year (aged 20 or under), Cosafa Women’s Most Promising Player of the Year (aged 20 or under) and Cosafa Male Coach of the Year.
Cosafa Female Coach of the Year, Cosafa Male Referee of the Year and Cosafa Female Referee of the Year will also be honoured.
As if that will not be enough, there will also be various Lifetime Achievement awards that will be handed to those who have shaped football in the region over several decades.
Cosafa’s member associations are Angola, Botswana, Comoros, Eswatini, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Seychelles, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
