South Sudan’s women’s squad hone their skills in preparation for the COSAFA competition.

South Sudan will compete alongside Uganda and Tanzania for the 2021 COSAFA Women’s Championship, as part of the teams chosen by the Council of East and Central African Football Association (CECAFA).

The event, which will include 12 teams from East and Southern Africa, will begin on Thursday, August 19, and will conclude on August 26 in South Africa’s Nelson Mandela Bay.

“We are happy to welcome three visitor teams from the CECAFA area and look forward to an excellent championship,” COSAFA General Secretary Sue Destombes said in welcoming the three guest teams to the competition.

COSAFA said that the competition would adhere to the COVID-19 procedure to the letter.

South Sudan is playing in the regional competition for the first time since it was established five years ago. South Sudan has been placed in Group B alongside East African neighbours Tanzania, Zimbabwe, and Botswana. Tanzania, which competed in the tournament for the first time last year, defeated Zimbabwe 1-0 before falling to Botswana in the competition’s opening rounds.

South Africa, the incumbent champion, will face Malawi, Angola, and Mozambique in Group A, while neighbouring Uganda will face Eswatini, Namibia, and Zambia in Group C.