Equatorial Guinea backs out on Cosafa

EQUATORIAL Guinea has withdrawn from next month’s Cosafa Senior Challenge starting on July 6 in Zambia.According a press release by Cosafa Equatorial Guinea cited lack of funds for the withdrawal despite assuring the regional body of their participation last month.

“We are obviously disappointed with the fact that Equatorial Guinea has withdrawn because they would have added a lot to the event,” said the chairman of the organising committee for the COSAFA Cup Zambia 2013, Timothy Shongwe.

The withdrawal of Equatorial Guinea means the tournament will only have 13 contestants with group A having three teams, Namibia, Mauritius and Seychelles.
Shongwe stated that the last minute withdrawal made it difficult to replace Equatorial Guinea hence leaving group A with only three teams.

“It was too late to call in another replacement, so we have cut Group A to three teams which will no doubt make the pool even more competitive with every match vital.”
Equatorial were a replacement for Tanzania who also withdrew from the tournament as it would have clashed with the CHAN qualifiers.
The COSAFA Cup, Southern Africa’s showpiece regional championship, returns after an absence of three years and will be defended by Zimbabwe who won on it home soil in 2009.
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