26 April 2019 – The COSAFA Cup will be staged in the South African coastal city of Durban from May 25-June 8, with matches to be played at venues that have served as a legacy from the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
Five stadia across Durban will be used during the tournament, three for matches and two as training venues for the teams, with all in regular use for league and cup action in South Africa’s Premier Soccer League.
Here is a rundown on the famous five:
MOSES MABHIDA STADIUM
The Moses Mabhida Stadium has become one of the most iconic venues in football, not just in South Africa but also the world with its unique design.It will be used for the semi-finals and final of the 2019 COSAFA Cup, providing a fitting stage for the business end of the competition.
It has been the scene of numerous domestic deciders in the past, and will host the season-ending Nedbank Cup final in South Africa on May 18, just a week before the start of the COSAFA Cup.
The stadium opened in 2010 ahead of the World Cup that year, when it hosted seven matches, including a semifinal between Germany and Spain. The venue also staged six fixtures during the 2013 African Nations Cup finals and remains a popular base for Bafana Bafana.
Moses Mabhida was a politician who was leader of the South African Communist Party from 1978 until his death in 1986.
KING ZWELITHINI STADIUM
TheKing Zwelithini Stadium in Umlazi has long been a popular venue with Durban’s PSL sides and is the current home of top-flight AmaZulu. With a capacity of 10,000, the venue was renovated ahead of the 2010 World Cup and has an excellent surface that allows for flowing football.
It will be used for group games and knockout matches up to and including the quarterfinals, and is located in a Durban suburb to the south east of the city. The stadium is named after Goodwill Zwelithini kaBhekuzulu, the reigning King of the Zulu nation.
PRINCESS MAGOGO STADIUM
The Princess Magogo Stadium in KwaMashu will also be used for the group games and knockout matches up to and including the quarterfinals.
It is the current home of South African top-flight side Lamontville Golden Arrows and has a capacity of 12,000. It also underwent renovations ahead of the 2010 World Cup and has been used by a number of teams in the city.
The venue is located in the suburb of KwaMashu, north of Durban, which has been the home of a number of prominent South Africans, including Bafana Bafana players Siyabonga Nomvethe, Siyanda Xulu and Siboniso Gaxa.
The venue is named after Princess Constance Magogo, a Zulu princess who had a love for singing and composing music
SUGAR RAY XULU STADIUM
The Sugar Ray Xulu Stadium will be a training venue for teams at the COSAFA Cup, but is a place of legend in the city of Durban.
It has previously been home to a number of top-flight teams in the city and most recently staged the Nedbank Cup semi-final between Lamontville Golden Arrows and TS Galaxy.
It has a smaller 6,500 capacity but an excellent playing surface and will provide teams with top conditions in which to train for their matches.
The stadium is located in the suburb of Clermont in Durban and was named after former footballer Cedric ‘Sugar Ray’ Xulu, who was a legend with AmaZulu and Mbabane Swallows of Swaziland in the 1960s.
CHATSWORTH STADIUM
The Chatsworth Stadium will be a training venue for the COSAFA Cup but actually has a large 22,000 capacity, having previously been home to Lamontville Golden Arrows and Manning Rangers.
Chatsworth is a large suburb to the south of Durban that has a population of 200,000 and covers a vast area.
The stadium is the current home of South African National First Division side Royal Eagles, who are gunning for promotion to the elite league this season.
Source: COSAFA