20 Apr 2022

The 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON)  draw has slotted Botswana in Group J alongside Tunisia, Equatorial Guinea and Libya.

The qualifiers draw was conducted in South Africa on Tuesday.

While some may think the Zebras are in a fair group, the team’s coach, Mogomotsi ‘Teenage’ Mpote thinks otherwise.

He said in an interview that it would be suicidal to think the group was easy, considering the fact that Tunisia and Equatorial Guinea were competing at the last AFCON edition.

“What is now needed is to do an extensive research about our opponents,” he said, adding that the Zebras’ advantage was that they were not well known.

Mpote said when the Zebras qualified for the AFCON 2012, they were in Group K together with Tunisia, Malawi, Togo and Chad.

Botswana beat the then favourites, Tunisia twice.

In the first leg played at Stade El Menzah in Tunisia, the Zebras won 1-0 courtesy of Jerome Ramatlhakwana.

Ramatlhakwana continued to haunt Tunisia as he scored a solo goal in a return leg played at University of Botswana stadium.

Mpote said the last time Botswana played against Libya, they ended with a goalless draw, adding that things had since changed.

“To be honest, we are pitted against good teams. I am not saying we are not good, it is just that what we need is the confidence, support from all stakeholders and take one game at a time,” he said.

Mpote said he was of the view that nothing was impossible, adding that their interest was on the fixtures so that they could see which team they would be playing against first.

“Some people think our group is going to be a walk in the park for us, but you saw teams like Gambia at the last AFCON. No one gave them a chance, so the point I am trying to make is that we are going to treat all the three teams as our competitors,” he said.

Meanwhile, Group A has Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Guinea Bissau, Sao Tome/Mauritius.

 Group B: Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Togo and eSwatini.

Group C: Cameroon, Kenya, Namibia and Burundi.

Group D:  Egypt, Guinea, Malawi and Ethiopia.

Group E: Ghana, Madagascar, Angola and Central African Republic.

 Group F: Algeria, Uganda, Niger and Tanzania.

Group G: Mali, Congo, Gambia and South Sudan.

 Group H: Cote D’Ivoire, Zambia, Comoros and Lesotho.

Group I: DR Congo, Gabon, Mauritania and Sudan.

 Group K: Morocco, South Africa, Zimbabwe and Liberia while defending champions Senegal, are with Benin, Mozambique and Rwanda in Group L.  ENDS