Angola’s Goncalves challenges fellow coaches on COSAFA Cup

Goncalves: Photo Credit: Angola Football Federation.

Angola’s Palancas Negras coach, Pedro Goncalves, has challenged fellow national team handlers in Southern Africa to make the most of the COSAFA Cup by featuring strong squads.

The Portuguese trainer said the 14-member competition for Southern Africa national teams presents a rare opportunity to build their squads ahead of major tournaments.

He was responding to questions from reporters in South Africa on Sunday after thrashing Lesotho 4-0 in a Group B match of the COSAFA Cup underway in Bloemfontein.

Goncalves insisted that what was important was not the victory but an opportunity he had to give more players game time and prepare them for competitions such as the FIFA World Cup and the Africa Cup of Nations.

“I think the most important thing about our performance is being here in that kind of atmosphere and competing because we national coaches spend a lot of time saying we have no time with the players and the teams. We say we have no time to have competitive matches, so the COSAFA Cup is a wonderful tournament,” he said.

Goncalves then challenged fellow national team coaches to bring top players to the competition.

He said: “I launch that challenge for my colleagues from other nations in COSAFA to be here to develop. The tournament is wonderful. It is an opportunity to be here with competitive teams. It is an opportunity to develop teams.”

COSAFA Cup is the most vibrant and ever-present regional competition among all CAF zones, with tournaments for all age groups for men and women played every year.

Decades ago, most national teams, such as Malawi, Zimbabwe, and Zambia, would bring their star players, such as John Maduka, Peter Ndlovu, and Kalusha Bwalya, to the COSAFA Cup.

However, of late, teams such as Bafana Bafana dispatch to the competition second-string sides managed by either assistant coaches or stand-in mentors.

The excuse for most football federations was that the tournament was played outside the FIFA window for international matches. However, the current one, running from June 4 to 15, 2025, is within the schedule.