The '''2021 COSAFA Cup''' was 20th edition of the [[COSAFA Cup]], an international football competition consisting of national teams of member nations of the [[Council of Southern Africa Football Associations]] (COSAFA). It is scheduled to take place in 6–18 July 2021.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://int.soccerway.com/international/africa/cosafa-cup/2020/group-stage/r54562/|title=20th COSOFA Cup 2021|work=Internationa Soccerway|access-date=5 July 2021}}</ref>
The '''2021 COSAFA Cup''' was the 20th edition of the [[COSAFA Cup]], an international football competition consisting of national teams of member nations of the [[Council of Southern Africa Football Associations]] (COSAFA). It took place on 6–18 July 2021.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://int.soccerway.com/international/africa/cosafa-cup/2020/group-stage/r54562/|title=20th COSOFA Cup 2021|work=Internationa Soccerway|access-date=5 July 2021}}</ref>
[[Zambia national football team|Zambia]] is the defending champion, having defeated [[Botswana national football team|Botswana]], 1–0, in the previous edition's final on 8 June 2019.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.cosafa.com/zambia-are-crowned-2019-cosafa-cup-champions-claim-fifth-title/|date=8 June 2019|title=Zambia crowned 2019 COSOFA Cup|work=Cosofa.com|access-date=5 July 2021}}</ref>
[[Zambia national football team|Zambia]] is the defending champion, having defeated [[Botswana national football team|Botswana]], 1–0, in the previous edition's final on 8 June 2019.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.cosafa.com/zambia-are-crowned-2019-cosafa-cup-champions-claim-fifth-title/|date=8 June 2019|title=Zambia crowned 2019 COSOFA Cup|work=Cosofa.com|access-date=5 July 2021}}</ref>
The 2021 COSAFA Cup was the 20th edition of the COSAFA Cup, an international football competition consisting of national teams of member nations of the Council of Southern Africa Football Associations (COSAFA). It took place on 6–18 July 2021.[2]
Zambia is the defending champion, having defeated Botswana, 1–0, in the previous edition's final on 8 June 2019.[3]
Teams are ranked according to points (3 points for a win, 1 point for a draw, 0 points for a loss), and if tied on points, the following tiebreaking criteria are applied, in the order given, to determine the rankings (Regulations Article 9.3)
Goals scored in head-to-head matches among tied teams;
If more than two teams are tied, and after applying all head-to-head criteria above, a subset of teams are still tied, all head-to-head criteria above are reapplied exclusively to this subset of teams;
Goal difference in all group matches;
Goals scored in all group matches;
Penalty shoot-out if only two teams are tied and they met in the last round of the group;
Disciplinary points (yellow card = 1 point, red card as a result of two yellow cards = 3 points, direct red card = 3 points, yellow card followed by direct red card = 4 points);