30 May 2022

Botswana national football team, the Zebras will start their AFCON qualifiers campaign tomorrow (June 1).

First on their meal is the Mediterranean Knights of Libya.

In preparation for the clash, the Zebras played an international friendly game against eSwatini and won 1-0, courtesy of Thabang Sesinyi’s 73^rd-minute strike at the University of Johannesburg Stadium in South Africa.

The Zebras squad is bolstered by the arrival of Moroccan internationals, Tumisang Orebonye and Kabelo Seakanyeng, while South African based Thatayaone Ditlhokwe joined the team on Sunday.

However, the Zebras had travelled with a good pool of players among them Sesinyi, Thero Setsile and Thatayaone Kgamanyane, who are expected to cause havoc in the Mediterranean Knights defence.

Should their opponents launch attacks enjoying home ground advantage, a solid defence made up of Ditlhokwe, Lesenya Ramoraka, Alford Velaphi and Moshe Gaolaolwe will be expected to deal with all dangerous balls.

The Zebras Caretaker Coach, Mogomotsi Mpote highlighted in the Botswana Football Association page that he was happy with the overall team shape and the work rate that the players had been displaying.

“The boys have the right chemistry and telepathic connection,” he said.

Mpote further said they had worked on the shape, therefore they were ready for the clash.

Mediterranean Knights’ Coach Corentin Da Silva Martins, who was appointed in April equally knows the importance of the clash as he has called all the best players in Libya.

 He was quoted by The Libya Observer saying his first goal was to qualify for the finals, given that their group was made up of Botswana, Tunisia, and Equatorial Guinea. “I have information about them because I have previously played against them with the Mauritanian team,” he said.  Zebras should be weary of players such as Anas Fouzi,  Emran Hamad, Mohamed Zubya and Ahmad Benali, who are capable of frustrating Zebras party in their quest to at least salvage a win in their away game.

The two teams met in 2003 in a two-legged AFCON qualifiers on March 30 and they played to a goalless draw. On June 7 Lybia won 1-0 while in March 2007 they once again met in an international friendly match, where they played to a goalless draw.

Meanwhile, Zebras will on Sunday travel to Francistown, where they will host Tunisia at Obert Itani Chilume Stadium still in the AFCON campaign. ENDS