This will be the seventh year in a row that the HOLLYWOODBETS COSAFA Women’s Championship has been held, a sign once more of COSAFA’s commitment to the development of the women’s game in the region.

It will be hosted in Gauteng from October 4-15, and we round up the numbers ahead of this year’s tournament.

1 – Tanzania became the first guest nation to claim the trophy when they defeated Malawi 1-0 in the 2021 decider. There are no guests in this year’s line-up.

1 – Zambia won their maiden COSAFA Women’s Championship title when they beat South Africa 1-0 in the 2022 decider. They had lost to the same opponents in their other final appearance in 2019.

2 – The number of COSAFA sides that qualified for the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup … African champions South Africa reached the round of 16 and Zambia exited in the group stages on debut but signed off with a victory over Costa Rica.

3 – The number of nations who have won the African Women’s Championship. Nigeria have 11 titles, Equatorial Guinea two and South Africa claimed their maiden success in Morocco last year when they beat the hosts 2-1 in the final. It was a case of sixth time lucky after losing five previous finals.

4 – The three groups in this year’s COSAFA Women’s Championship will each contain four sides. Only the top nation and the best-placed runner-up advance to the semifinals.

4 – South Africa coach Desiree Ellis has lifted the COSAFA Women’s Championship trophy on four occasions (2017-20), making her the most successful coach in the competition’s history. She will be hoping to make it five this year!

5 – Five nations have reached the COSAFA Women’s Championship decider but never lifted the trophy. They are Namibia (2006), Angola (2008), Cameroon (2018), Botswana (2020) and Malawi (2021).

5 – South Africa will be hosting the COSAFA Women’s Championship for the sixth time. Zimbabwe (2002, 2011, 2017) have hosted on three previous occasions, with Zambia (2006) and Angola (2008) staging the event once each.

7 – The number of COSAFA countries that have competed at the African Women’s Championship in the past – South Africa (13 times), Zimbabwe (four), Zambia (four), Angola (two), Namibia, Mozambique and Botswana. The latter reached the quarterfinals on debut this year. Associate member Reunion also made an appearance in 2000.

7 – South Africa have won the COSAFA Women’s Championship on seven previous occasions – 2002, 2006, 2008, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020. They also made the final in 2011 but lost to hosts Zimbabwe and 2022 but were defeated by Zambia.

10 – Zambian hot-shot Barbra Banda finished top of the scorers’ charts at the 2022 COSAFA Women’s Championship with 10 goals, double the next highest by Botswana’s Gaonyadiwe Ontlametse.

11 – This year’s COSAFA Women’s Championship will be the 11th time the regional showpiece competition has been held, all since the inaugural event in 2002.

12 – The number of teams that will compete at the COSAFA Women’s Championship in Gauteng this year, namely Angola, Botswana, Comoros, Eswatini, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

12 – South African striker Noko Matlou banged in 12 goals in the 2008 COSAFA Women’s Championship, which helped her lift the CAF Women’s Footballer of the Year prize that season. Remarkably, she is still part of the team but is now a central defender.

17 – The number of goals scored by South Africa when they defeated Comoros 17-0 in their Group A clash in 2019. It is the biggest win in COSAFA Women’s Championship history.

31 – The number of goals scored by South Africa in their three COSAFA Women’s Championship Group B matches in 2002. They beat Botswana (14-0), Mozambique (13-0) and Swaziland (4-0) on their way to the title. It is the most ever scored in the pool stages.

45 – South Africa are the top-ranked side in the COSAFA region according to the FIFA Women’s World Rankings at number 45. They are the second-best team in Africa according to the list after Nigeria (32). Zambia are the next highest from the COSAFA region at 69.

70 – The number of goals scored in 22 matches at the 2022 COSAFA Women’s Championship, a healthy average of over three per game!