By Ifeanyi Amaobi
Namibia and South Africa secured their places in the HOLLYWOODBETS COSAFA Women’s Championship final after defeating Zambia and Zimbabwe, respectively, in their semi-final clashes at the New Peter Mokaba Stadium on February 27, 2026.
In the first semifinals Namibia produced a major upset eliminating the defending champions, Zambia, with a 1–0 victory while South Africa defeated Zimbabwe 4-2 on penalties after playing out 1-1 draw in regulation time in the second semi finals game.
Zimbabwe took an early lead in the 10th minute through a long-range strike by Ethel Chinyerere, but South Africa equalized six minutes before the interval when Nthabiseng Majiya scored following an assist from goalkeeper Casey Gordon.
After a scoreless second half, the match moved to penalties where South Africa converted all four attempts, while Gordon saved one Zimbabwean spot-kick to seal the win.
The 2026 final marks a historic rematch of the 2006 championship game. Namibia enters the final looking for their first-ever title while South Africa a record seven-time winners, returns to the final under coach Dr. Desiree Ellis as they seek to reclaim the trophy on home soil.
