Early end to Mares' COSAFA campaign

The build-up to the tournament, being held in Limpopo, was marred by controversy when coach Alex Malete was dropped at the 11th hour. Several players protested, arguing they were owed monies with reports that some had opted out in solidarity with Malete. It was hardly the ideal preparation the team wanted ahead of the regional tournament. The upheaval off the pitch was evident on the squad as two defeats to Zambia and Zimbabwe and a stalemate against lightweights, Eswatini confirmed an early return home for the Mares. Shepolopolo beat the Mares 3-0 in the opening match before a 1-1 draw against Eswatini.

On Tuesday, Zimbabwe took the Mares' COSAFA campaign completely off track with a 1-0 win. The results mean the Mares could only find the back of the net once, whilst conceding four times in 270 minutes on the pitch. The women's stock has been on the rise following two successive appearances at the Women's Africa Cup of Nations finals, in 2023 and 2025, but there has been a recent nosedive. The Mares will miss out on the next WAFCON finals, whilst they have just completed an underwhelming COSAFA campaign.