ABSA Cup

{{short description|Zambian knockout football competition}}

{{For|the South African competition that formerly used this name|Nedbank Cup}}

{{Infobox football tournament

| founded = 2007

| image = ABSA Zambia Cup.png

| caption = Logo since 2019

| region = Zambia

| most successful team = ZESCO United F.C (6 titles)

| current champions = Red Arrows{{Cite web |title=Zambia 2023/24 |url=https://www.rsssf.org/tablesz/zamb2024.html |access-date=2024-07-07 |website=www.rsssf.org}}

| number of teams = 8 teams (6 from Super League and 2 from National Division One)

| organiser = FAZ

| broadcasters = SuperSport

| current = 2024 ABSA Cup

}}

The ABSA Cup, formerly the Barclays Cup, is the current branding for an association football cup competition launched in 2007 by the Football Association of Zambia.{{Cite web|url=http://zambianfootball.co.zm/barclays-cup/|title=Barclays Cup|website=ZamFoot|access-date=17 April 2019}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.rsssf.org/tablesz/zambcuphist.html|title=Zambia Cup Winners|website=RSSSF|access-date=17 April 2019}}{{cite web|title=Cups|website=Football Association of Zambia|url=https://www.faz.co.zm/cups/|access-date=23 May 2022}}

Participants are decided half-way through current season (match day 17){{cite web|date=28 February 2020|title=8 Teams Picked For 2020 Absa Cup|url=https://www.zedsoccer.com/8-teams-picked-for-2020-absa-cup/|website=ZedSoccer|access-date=21 November 2020}} and are picked from the two highest divisions in Zambia. Since the inaugural season of National Division One in the 2019–20 season, 2 teams are picked from that division and 6 are from the Super League to enter the competition each year.{{cite web|title=ABSA Cup 2019|url=https://www.rsssf.org/tablesz/zamb2019.html |website=RSSSF |access-date=21 November 2020}}

Following the full acquisition of the assets and operations of Barclays in Africa,{{cite web|last=Buthelezi|first=Londiwe|date=8 April 2013|title=Absa’s Deal To Buy Barclays’ African Operations Runs Behind Schedule|url=http://www.iol.co.za/business/companies/absa-s-deal-to-buy-barclays-african-operations-runs-behind-schedule-1.1496625#.U9_Mv5Ug8Ss|website=IOL|access-date=7 June 2018}} including Zambia,{{cite web|date=2 March 2018|title=Barclays Africa Group Rebrands to Absa Group Limited|url=https://tumfweko.com/2018/03/02/barclays-africa-group-rebrands-to-absa-group-ltd/|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180501093951/https://tumfweko.com/2018/03/02/barclays-africa-group-rebrands-to-absa-group-ltd/|archive-date=1 May 2018|website=Tumufweko|access-date=30 April 2018|location=Lusaka}} by South Africa-based ABSA (now Absa Group Limited) in 2018, the competition's next edition in 2019 was rebranded as the Absa Cup.{{cite web|date=23 May 2019|title=2019 ABSA Cup launched as sponsorship package gets 25% hike|url=http://zambianfootball.co.zm/2019-absa-cup-launched-as-sponsorship-package-gets-25-hike/|website=ZamFoot|access-date=24 May 2019}}

The video assistant referee (VAR) was introduced to the competition and implemented on a pilot basis at the final of the 2023 edition,{{Cite web|date=22 May 2023|title=VAR for the 2023 ABSA Cup final?|url=https://zambianfootball.co.zm/var-for-the-2023-absa-cup-final/|website=ZamFoot|access-date=31 May 2023}}{{cite web|last=Mukunsa|first=Mutakila|date=27 May 2023|title=Zambia first to use VAR technology in Cosafa region|url=https://bolanews.co/soccer/absa-cup-2023/zambia-makes-history/|website=Bolanews|access-date=1 June 2023}} a first in Zambian football and Sub-Saharan African football as a whole. Thus, this put Zambia on the list as the 3rd African country after Morocco and Egypt to introduce and implement VAR in domestic football matches.{{Cite web|last=Tutu|first=Arnold|date=27 May 2023|title=VAR To Be Used During ABSA Cup Final|url=https://www.znbc.co.zm/news/var-to-be-used-during-absa-cup-final/|website=ZNBC|access-date=31 May 2023}} Head of referees at FAZ, Aziph Banda, cited the inadequacy of FIFA-certified referees to operate the VAR, with female referee Diana Chikotesha being the only exception having previously experienced its usage at the 2022 Women's Africa Cup of Nations and Janny Sikazwe having retired as the reason why the association appointed foreign referees solely for that final.{{Cite web|last=Chikenge|first=Calvin Kaumba|date=27 May 2023|title=FAZ explains why the ABSA Cup final was not officiated by Zambians with VAR in use |url=https://bolanews.co/soccer/absa-cup-2023/faz-explains-why-the-absa-cup-final-was-not-officiated-by-zambians/|website=Bolanews|access-date=31 May 2023}}