COSAFA Confirms ‘No Prize Money’ For Women Champions

October 17, 2023
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The Council of Southern Africa Football Associations (COSAFA), organisers of the COSAFA Women’s Championship has clarified that there is no prize money for winners Malawi and any of the other teams that took part in the tournament.

Malawi defeated Zambia 2-1 on the final to lift the trophy, but both teams will get no prize in form of money, as there was no such arrangement due to lack of sponsors.

“As has been the case in all previous years bar one exceptional case where a sponsor came on board to carry the cost, there will be no prize money for the teams, COSAFA confirmed.

This, after the federation received numerous inquiries about prize money for players and teams that competed at the recent COSAFA Women’s Championship which was held in Gauteng.

“It is a global reality that women’s football does not command the same commercial funding as the men’s game,” a statement from COSAFA read in part, before adding that the federation is working extremely hard to change that in the Southern Africa region, also admitting attaining such a goal is still so far away from sight.

The federation noted that the costs of hosting an event such as the COSAFA Women’s Championship, which draws teams from eleven countries in addition to the host, is extraordinary in terms of air travel, accommodation and other key logistics.

“These costs remain the same as for our men’s events, but with lower revenue for our women’s tournament, there is simply no space in our budget framework for prize money, COSAFA revealed.

However, individual winners will be awarded. COSAFA confirmed that there will be prize money of R20,000 for the individual award winners, Malawi forward Temwa Chawinga, who won both the Player of the Tournament award and the Golden Boot as top-scorer, and Golden Glove winner Cynthia Shongwe from Zimbabwe.

Meanwhile, the federation further emphasised that they’re working towards having more commercial partners to assist in the regard of sponsorship and that as an organisation, they’re working extremely hard to turn that into a reality.