15 Jun 2022

The COSAFA Cup draw conducted in South Africa yesterday has placed Botswana in Group A Phase 1 alongside Angola, Seychelles and Comoros.

Senior football team coach, Mogomotsi Mpote, said this was a fair draw, adding the tournament would give the Zebras time to prepare for AFCON qualifiers.

He said Angola was not a push over whereas Comoros left a mark at this year’s AFCON.

According to Mpote, the Zebras would fight tooth and nail to reach the final.

“We did that in 2019 and we want to make history and lift the trophy. We are aware that it is every team’s dream to win, but generally I think this is our time to prove our mettle,” he said.

Former Zebras captain, Mompati ‘Apache’ Thuma said time was now for Botswana to do things right in preparations, adding more friendly games would help boost performance.

“We gauge ourselves as a country at COSAFA, if we do well we are bound to excel in our AFCON qualifiers games,” he said.

Meanwhile according to COSAFA, only the top team in each pool will advance to the quarterfinals, making it a fierce battle for a place in the knockout stages.

Quarterfinal losers will drop into the plate competition of the same tournament.

The confederation further says Senegal will take on winners of Group B, which has Lesotho, Malawi, Mauritius and eSwatini.

Madagascar will face Namibia in the third of the quarterfinals, while five-time winners Zambia tackle the winner of Group A. ENDS