South Africa Women were held to a surprising 1-1 draw by Lesotho Women in their opening match of the 2026 COSAFA Women's Cup on February 24th. The result was a major upset, as the tournament favorites South Africa dropped points against a determined Lesotho side. South Africa took an early lead, seemingly on course for a routine victory, but Lesotho grew into the game and scored a deserved equalizer in the second half. Lesotho's defensive organization was exceptional, frustrating the South African attackers and creating several dangerous counter-attacks. The final whistle brought jubilant celebrations from the Lesotho team, marking one of their best results in the competition's history. For South Africa, the draw served as an early wake-up call in their quest to reclaim the COSAFA Women's Cup title.