#i say we extend pride month to also include july. and august and september and october and november and december and

[tiozambia]

Durban to Play Host to 2019 COSAFA Cup!

The 2019 COSAFA Cup will be staged in the South African coastal city of Durban from May 25-June 8, serving as vital preparation for the region’s Africa Cup of Nations-bound sides. The prestigious regional tournament will be hosted in partnership with the South African Football Association and the eThekwini Municipality, with venues around the city to enrich the 14-team competition. Durban is a world-class sporting hub that was a major centre during the 2010 FIFA World Cup and combines top sporting facilities with excellent transport infrastructure, having played host to numerous domestic cup finals in recent years. Angola, Madagascar, Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe are all teams that will be heading to the Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt from June 21-July 19, and so will be able to use the COSAFA Cup to camp and play in high-quality competitive internationals just weeks before the continental showpiece. “We are delighted to host what we believe will be the best ever COSAFA Cup in Durban, a city steeped in sporting history with the most magnificent facilities,” says COSAFA President Dr Phillip Chiyangwa. “Apart from the prestige of being crowned regional champions, there is also much more for competing teams to play for this year, with not only the Africa Cup of Nations finals Egypt, but also the 2020 African Nations Championship qualifiers in July and August. “At COSAFA we pride ourselves in the opportunities we give our nations to compete at the highest level, and to help develop our teams for continental action. “We extend our warmest thanks to SAFA and the eThekwini Municipality for partnering with us on this event and we are sure that all the teams will derive great benefit from their stay in South Africa.” The semi-final and final of the tournament will be played at the Moses Mabhida Stadium, with King Zwelithini Stadium in Umlazi and the Princess Magogo Stadium in KwaMashu to be used earlier in the competition. The Sugar Ray Xulu Stadium and Chatsworth Stadium will be training venues for the teams. The eThekwini Municipality has been a major ‘player’ in the hosting of football events in South Africa for a number of years, with its flagship and iconic Moses Mabhida Stadium one of the jewels among the country’s impressive array of stadia. eThekwini Mayor Zandile Gumede expressed her enthusiasm at the opportunity given to the City to host this prestigious tournament. “Durban is known as Africa’s playground and we have proven this over and over again through the many successful international sports tournaments that we have hosted,” Gumede said. “We have world-class sporting facilities, including our iconic Moses Mabhida Stadium, which makes it easy for us to accommodate tournaments of international standard. We have warm and friendly weather all year round and our citizens are sports-lovers of note. “I am certain that they will fill-up all the stadia to support their favourite teams and create that exciting and jubilant vibe. We look forward to hosting the games.” SAFA President Dr Danny Jordaan thanked Mayor Gumede and her municipality for stepping in to host the tournament, saying it proved Durban’s readiness to stage world-class events at short notice. “We are very grateful to the eThekwini Municipality and Mayor Gumede,” Dr Jordaan said. “By accepting to host the upcoming COSAFA Cup tournament, eThekwini has once again shown that it is a municipality whose agenda is to live the masses’ goals. “Football is by the far the biggest sporting code in the country and the world at large, and by embracing the sport in all forms, it goes to show how you always embrace the football legacy. “The fact that you took over this tournament at the last minute will endear you with, not only the football masses of South Africa but the entire COSAFA region. “I am lost for words to describe how much the South African Football Association (SAFA) feel indebted to you and appreciate your valued friendship and support. You are a true, treasured partner.” The draw for the first-round group stage of the 2019 COSAFA Cup is likely to be held in the first week of May with the format of the competition unchanged from previous years. It will once again feature 14 sides, with the lowest ranked eight split into two first round pools each containing four sides. The winners of those pools will advance to the quarterfinals, where they will join the six higher ranked teams in a straight knockout format. The four losing teams in the quarterfinals will drop into the Plate competition to ensure they continue to get competitive fixtures. Zimbabwe will be the defending champions in 2019 having won the last of their record six titles in Polokwane 12 months ago when they edged Zambia 4-2 in a thrilling final. Zambia and South Africa have four wins each, with Angola (three wins) and Namibia also previously gold medallists. The 2019 COSAFA Cup will be the first of six tournaments scheduled to be hosted by the regional body this year. Others includes the COSAFA Women’s Championship in Port Elizabeth, South Africa (July 31-August 11), which will run concurrently with the COSAFA Under-20 Women’s Championship at the same venue (August 1-11). There will also be a COSAFA Under-17 Women’s Championship in Mauritius (September 13-22) followed by a boys’ competition in the Under-17 age-group in Malawi (September 26-October 5). The final competition will be the COSAFA Under-20 Championship for men in Zambia from December 4-15. (Credit: Cosafa Media) Read the full article

[haebxtna]

Leaving a Mark

Part I - The Journal Entries

 August 4, 2008

I picked him out of the crowd. He wasn’t the one my eyes were searching for but somehow they landed onto his, next to the one I was supposed to find. Charlene’s boyfriend… has a friend. And that friend is him. He has small eyes, a bit different from most of the students but familiar, because I have the same size of eyes as he has. Even smaller. There’s an indentation at one side of his cheeks, evident as he speaks, distinct as he smiles. The sun shines from our side but the rays beam at their side, across our line, and it made his pale skin glisten under the light. It was… perpetual. He’s handsome, I must admit. Will I know his name? Tomorrow I shall ask Charlene.

August 8, 2008

All I wished is for a name, but I got more than what I should. It was break time, Charlene promised me something wonderful was about to happen, but I did not expect what came next. I was in the lobby, too full, too distracted to eat, when his figure appears suddenly from the corner of my eye. He stood in front, leading a pack of 4 men including Charlene’s boyfriend. I felt a tight squeeze in my hand from Charlene, but I was too dumbfounded to react. I wanted them to pass through me, just walk through the hallway. I don’t really want any attention because clearly, his group of friends steals the eyes of people with their mere presence alone – just like earlier. But one set of eyes focused on us, me. They stopped right in front of us, Charlene’s lips tugged upward in a proud smile while she scooted to her boyfriend.

“Hi, I’m Mark.” He extended one of his hand and I gladly took it, nervously shaking his while I tried my best to hide the embarrassment, but Charlene said I looked like a tomato the whole time.

I had his name, and his hands left a mark.

July 29, 2009

“Stop fangirling over him.” They said, but I was just a mere young one cheering for the team, for the school’s pride! Of course, it was an excuse. It’s pretty much obvious that I was following him. No, I don’t stalk him. Just… admiring him from afar. Offering him small things that might bring smile to his face. Like a bottle of orange juice and a sandwich after the varsity practice. It worked, actually. The sporadic hi and hello’s upgraded to small talks, and he knew my name already – and the way he calls me Shine sends shiver down my spine every single time. And he smiles more now, smiles more at me. Or am I just delusional to think that it’s for me when it’s for the entire row of girls cheering for him from the bench whenever he shoots the ball? Maybe, but I’d consider that smile as mine, because at the end of the day, he still talked to me. Small talk, but encouraging.

I’m not getting my hopes up, but I am happy with the way things are.

October 14, 2009

I… don’t even know what to say. I knew there were dangers with trying to be close to a person you fancy but has little chance but… somehow we’ve become close. Close as in we talked more, and he seem to take care of me. But so he does with the other girls of his year. But what can I do, he simply defends me from the bullies, and gives me words of advice and everything. I could not help but feel something. Even though I don’t want to. If I can deny it then I would. But… he kissed me on my forehead. I don’t think I could deny it anymore. This has become more than liking him. I’m actually… scared.

January 5, 2010

I should’ve stayed in. I should have rested at home and kept myself on the comforts of my bed. The flu got worse, it’s really a bad way to start a year, and it’s as if it’s an omen, a foreboding to something bad. Today I realized that it is. Why did I even want to go to school while I am sick? Obviously because I wanted to see Mark on the first school day of the year. Christmas break stretched long enough and I… missed him so much. I wish I did repress myself had I known that I will be broken this way.

All I asked was for a name, but he gave me a handshake. I never asked for him to reciprocate his feelings, but to be slapped with the reality of his words was something I thought I could take, but I couldn’t. Mark doesn’t like me. He sees a sister in me. That was why he was protecting me; that was why he kissed me in the forehead. It was all platonic. I just led myself to believe that there might be something deeper than that. But there’s none.

I feel sicker than the severe cough, colds and body pain I feel right now. When will I recover?

September 8, 2010

Charlene said that I might be the most stupid person she ever knew. It was so hard to move on but I still cling onto those small conversations with Mark. We are currently friends, not the same as when they talked every day, but he would still spark a conversation with me, smiles whenever our paths cross, waves his hand and greets from afar, and acknowledges my existence as Shine. His Shine. But what can I do? I promised him friendship even though he dumped me (in front of that jealous girl from his year). I just want to spend some more time with him before he graduates and transfer to a university, which is half a year away. I’m content with this. I hope.

December 29, 2012

This must be a late gift but nevertheless a gift, a surprise I never expected. A mini get-together happened today and of course I expected him to come. It was the club’s reunion and Irene, the club president back then, wanted to gather everyone from our batch and theirs for a dinner party. I went with Charlene, half-hoping Mark would not be there. Charlene was also hoping that her ex, Alex, wouldn’t be there too. But our hopes crashed when we saw them at the restaurant as we arrived. They smiled at us like we were those sophomore students greeting the senior students years before. Were they smiling at us because of that, or because we’re far from the sophomore students they knew back then? I think it was the latter. Because Charlene decided to be a bit more sophisticated with our look for the night, we donned ourselves in dresses, heels and smoky eye make ups and ultimately it caught their attention. Men, as always.

He was different. Mark was. His face matured a lot, perhaps university life drained him, but he was still perpetual, his face still glistens from under the dim light of the restaurant. But his eyes were different. He looked different when he gazed at me, it looks like there was something going on with him but I do not know. I just simply basked on his stare, and his words.

It’s the first time he gave me a compliment, and my heart ignited when she said that I grew beautiful. I do not know if it was because of the can of beer he drank or the make up and perfume I wore, but I longed for it, the acknowledgement. Is he finally seeing me as a woman? I could only hope.

January 14, 2013

It’s Mark’s birthday last night. I was invited, together with some previous club members and his college friends, and who am I to decline? I went because I wanted it. I just did not know that we would be chugging on booze. Well, he did, they did. It was still a few months left before I could drink, but I do not want to be a killjoy. I took some shots, mostly when he asks me to. But I kept myself sane. Tipsy, maybe, but still sane.

We played a game, I forgot the title because I was too tipsy. But there was a bottle, a timer, and then I found myself locked in a room with him. He stared at me for a few seconds before he kissed me. He kissed me, not in the forehead but on my lips. Everything was a blur back then but before the door flew open again, I knew I teared away. For how long we kissed, I could not remember.

I can remember how it felt though. Ah. That was how it felt to kiss. How it felt to kiss someone like Mark.

April 18, 2013

It’s a whirlwind of emotions. I am not sure what to feel. It’s a roller coaster ride and I am sure I’ve been warned about this when I agreed to date Mark, but I wasn’t ready for all of these. Or maybe it’s just because being eighteen and legal is quite overwhelming. Or the pressure. Or the emotions was just too much. The attraction. Again, I am pulled onto him – the same puppy crush I had on him four years before, although it isn’t just a fickle crush I’m talking about now. It’s become so serious. I like him. I.. love him. I love Mark. I’d do anything for him. I’ve waited for four years, and now that I knew all those years weren’t waiting in vain after all, then I should do my best. Because I love him. And he loves me. I know he does. Why would he ask me to date if he doesn’t? Why would he agree on being my last dance on my debut party if he doesn’t? Why would he brag me to his friends as his girlfriend if he doesn’t? Why would he give me attention, hug me, kiss me if he doesn’t? He’s given more than anything I could ask for. And I will give him what I can. I will do everything for him.

He asked for it. And I gave it to him. Because I want Mark. And I want him to leave me a mark, just like the way he did when I first saw him.

June 15, 2013

I hate rumors. I hate how people try to destroy something wonderful because of jealousy. I hate how they pit people to break their trusts on each other. I hate Alex. If he was getting revenge on Charlene through me then I would not allow it. I will not believe in something that he says, especially about Mark. Especially since Alex is the epitome of a jerk who cheats on his girlfriend countless of times.

Mark loves me. He will never cheat on me.

July 7, 2013

Mark loves me. He will never cheat on me.

That girl is just his classmate at the university. Don’t mind her.

Mark is mine, he loves me. He cares for me. I’ve given him everything he wants, there’s no way he’d find another.

August 19, 2013

Mark gave me a large bouquet of roses. Held my hand. Embraced me tightly. Kissed me tenderly. Suddenly I felt guilty about the doubts that swirled on my thoughts for the past weeks. It’s our monthsary, he’s been busy preparing for this surprise celebration. I should have known! I know rumors are bad, they suck as much as Alex sucks in his life. I promise to never listen to him again. There’s only few men I can trust. Daddykins, Bitgaram oppa and Mark. Trust Mark. Trust your love for him. This is a mantra that I need to keep saying.

Mark loves me. He makes me feel beautiful. He makes me feel alive. He made me a woman.

September 21, 2013

Note to self: Stop playing pretend. It isn’t healthy to live in a world fabricated by your own naivety. This is over. There was nothing to start with. It wasn’t true. Mark never liked you. He only used you to tend to his bruised ego, because he knew you are head over heels for him. And he knew you very well. But now that he had more than enough from you, he left you. Because that’s how they are. You should have listened to your best friend. Charlene warned you a couple of times, and she and Alex was enough example. You should’ve learned from them. But you were stuck in an illusion that the prince you’ve been waiting for has finally noticed you and loved you and that you’ll live happily ever after as long as you gave him your love and your everything. You did, but what happened? Mark left you.

Shine, it’s time to leave him too. 5 years is enough for a first love, don’t you think?