19 May 2019 – The 2019 COSAFA Cup Trophy Tour is set to get under way on Tuesday, 21 May as Durban gears up for a festival of football with the staging of the Southern African championship from 25 May – 8 June.
Fans in the eThekwini Municipality will be able to get up close to the trophy, and some exciting South African football legends, when the coveted prize is paraded over two days this coming week.
Tournament sponsor Hollywoodbets will be part of the tour, bringing some razzmatazz to the event.
The trophy will travel in an open-top bus from King Dinizulu Park to City Hall Church Walk on Tuesday, May 21, where it will be handed over to the Mayor, Cllr Zandile Gumede. The route will also go through Durban’s busiest street, Dr Pixley KaSeme Street.
The trophy and the football legends will then make a stop at Ogwini High School in Umlazi), the biggest place of learning in terms of enrolment in KwaZulu-Natal with over 3,500 leaners.
The school is close to one of the match venues for the COSAFA Cup, the King Zwelithini Stadium, where the opening matches will be played on 25 May.
The trophy will then make its way back to the City Hall, but will stop at Mnyandu Mall, Mangosuthu University of Technology, uMlazi Mega City Mall, SJ Smith hostel, UKZN Howard College, Jacobs Hostel, The Market, DUT Steve Biko and Berea Centre to engage with fans.
On Wednesday, 22 May, the trophy will visit Mzuvele High School in KwaMashu, which is close one of the COSAFA Cup venues, the Princess Magogo Stadium.
After engaging with learners, the convoy, together with the football legends, will make stops at Bridge City Mall, KwaMashu Hostel, KwaMashu Station, eThekwini College- Springfield Campus, Yusuf Dadoo Branch and Spar-Point Road as it makes its way back to City Hall.
The COSAFA Cup will see 14 teams compete over two weeks of action, each seeking to become champion of the region.
Hosts South Africa will enter the competition at the quarterfinal stage on 2 June when they take on old foes Botswana, the fourth year in a row they are meeting The Zebras.
The semifinals and final on 8 June will be played at the iconic Moses Mabhida Stadium.