South Africa vs Zambia COSAFA Cup LIVE Football Score 14 Jul 2021

South Africa host Zambia on Wednesday in the final matchday of the group stages in the COSAFA Cup, in their bid to reach the semi-finals to be played on Friday. The home side play Lesotho first on Tuesday, while Zambia host Botswana before the two clash at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Port Elizabeth.

South Africa are on course to remain unbeaten in the group stages of the 2021 COSAFA Cup, winning their first two fixtures against Botswana and Eswatini. Morena Ramoreboli’s side won both of those games by the scoreline of 1-0, goals coming from Kagiso Malinga and Thabang Sibanyoni, and Veli Mothwa is the only keeper to not concede a goal yet in this year’s tournament.

South Africa are hosting this competition for the fourth time in the last five years, and they are looking to better their fifth-placed finish from the last three COSAFA Cup tournaments.

The nation last won this trophy in 2016 after beating Botswana 3-2 in the final, and they have set themselves up well to progress from the group stages again this time around, something they have achieved at every COSAFA Cup since 2006.

Whether South Africa go into this fixture with Zambia top of Group A remains to be seen, considering they must face Lesotho just 24 hours prior to kickoff on wednesday. Zambia’s hopes of progressing into the semi-finals are extremely slim given that they have lost their opening two fixtures against Lesotho and Eswatini.

Last time out at the Isaac Wolfson Stadium, Zambia fell to a 53rd-minute strike from Sandile Gamedze to all but end their hopes of progressing through the group.

For Milutin Sredojevic’s side to qualify for the semi-final they would have to win their remaining two games against Botswana and South Africa, also hoping that Wednesday’s opponents lose to Lesotho on Tuesda

This year’s COSAFA Cup has been below the standard that Zambia have set themselves over the last few years, having won the tournament in 2019 and finished as runners-up in 2017 and 2018. Zambia last faced South Africa in an international friendly last October, when they ran out 2-1 winners thanks to goals from Kelvin Kampamba and Chaniza Zulu.