Football: Cosafa Cup   Comoros inflict third defeat on Seychelles   |12 July 2022

Ryan Henriette scored Seychelles’ only goal at the ongoing Hollywoodbets Cosafa Cup on Sunday at the King Zwelithini Stadium in Durban, South Africa, but the team still lost 1-2 to Comoros to bow out of the competition with three defeats in as many matches in group A.

Playing for pride, Seychelles fell behind early in the match (9th minute) when Abdallah Sadad scored but Ryan Henriette levelled the score at 1-1, 11 minutes before half-time.

Ali Moudhoiffar netted the winner on the hour-mark as Comoros recorded their first points of the competition.

After also losing 0-3 to Angola and 0-1 to Botswana, Seychelles finished without a point, scoring just one goal and conceding six.

In the group’s other match between Angola and Botswana who had each won their first two games, the Zebras of Botswana handed the Palancas Negras their first loss of the competition when Goitseone Phoko scored his team’s lone goal from the penalty spot to set up a quarterfinal meeting with Zambia today.

Angola defender Gaspar was adjudged to have handled the ball before Phoko converted from the dreaded spot for the win that took Botswana to the top of the table and into the next round.

The match-up between Botswana and Zambia will be a repeat of the 2019 final, also played in Durban, that the Chipolopolo won 1-0 to claim their fifth title.

Meanwhile, in group B, Eswatini eased past rivals Lesotho 2-0 on Sunday. Sandile Gamedze scored off a rebound from Lesotho keeper before Sabelo Ndzinisa added the second goal after beating the offside trap.

Lesotho finished the game with 10 men after a red card for defender Rethabile Rasethuntsa with seven minutes remaining.

Eswatini will now meet guests Senegal in the quarterfinal scheduled for tomorrow. Also tomorrow, Madagascar will take on Namibia at the same venue whereas South Africa meet Mozambique in another quarterfinal.

GROUP STANDINGS

GROUP A                  P          W        D         L          GF       GA      GD      PTS

Botswana (Q)          3          3          0          0          3          0          3          9

Angola                       3          2          0          1          6          2          4          6

Comoros                   3          1          0          2          3          5          -2        3

Seychelles                 3          0          0          3          1          6          -5        0

GROUP B                  P          W        D         L          GF       GA      GD      PTS

Eswatini (Q)3          2          1          0          6          1          5          7

Lesotho                     3          2          0          1          4          4          0          6

Malawi                      3          1          1          1          4          3          1          4

Mauritius                  3          0          0          3          1          7          -6        0

Gerard Govinden