Trouble follows Mares as COSAFA dream remains elusive

The script did not change as the championship dream collapsed in the 2025 edition which is underway in Polokwane, South Africa. It was a campaign overshadowed by unpaid bonuses, a coaching coup, and a squad overhaul. All these ended in familiar heartbreak as the Mares crashed out in the group stage of the COSAFA Women’s Championship, extending a trophy drought that now spans 24 years of international football.

The statement, whilst some may say, comes a little bit too late, is timely as gender-based violence (GBV) continues to haunt the country. A week hardly passes without reports of a wife, a girlfriend or boyfriend being killed by their intimate partners. Just recently, a high-ranking officer stationed at Glen Valley Barracks reportedly murdered his wife and has so far managed to evade arrest. It is also alleged that another soldier murdered his…