Morocco withdraws from COSAFA Cup, Tanzania invited

Taifa Stars: Photo Credit: COSAFA media.

Morocco’s Atlas Lions have withdrawn from the 2025 Council for Southern Africa Football Associations (COSAFA) Cup scheduled for South Africa next month.

The COSAFA secretariat confirmed the withdrawal of the North Africans from the competition, but did not give the reasons for the pullout.

The organisers have since invited Tanzania’s Taifa Stars to replace the Atlas Lions from the tournament scheduled from 4 to 15 June 2025 in Mangaung, Bloemfontein.

Tanzania will take up Morocco’s place in the three-member Group C, the change necessitating a revision of the fixtures.

COSAFA media says Tanzania will start their campaign on June 7 against Madagascar at the Toyota Stadium (kick-off 18h00 local time / 16h00 GMT).

The next game for the Taifa Stars will be against Eswatini on June 11 at the same venue (kick-off 15h00 local time / 13h00 GMT).

Tanzanians hope to use the COSAFA Cup to prepare for the 2025 African Nations Championship they will co-host with Uganda and Kenya this August.

The Taifa Stars are making their third appearance at the Southern African tournament.

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