01 Jul 2024

The clash of legends game between Botswana and South Africa at the National Stadium on Saturday took football fans down memory lane with the latter emerging victorious with a 2-0 score line.

The much anticipated encounter between the two old-time rivals ignited the yesteryear spark that the fixture was renowned for.

The legends came face to face having hanged their boots and opened new chapters of their lives.

With experience under their belt and many trophies lifted, both sets of legends set an insurmountable assignment for their understudies.

So often in the past, heavyweight showdowns that received big build ups had failed to deliver, but this was not the case with this particular rivalry and once again players delivered an exhilarating spectacle.

The South African legends had an upper hand in the first half and Botswana seemingly struggled with fitness. 

Predominantly made of the historic team that qualified for AFCON 2012 in Gabon-Equatorial Guinea, the Zebras legends found themselves trailing at  halftime through a Siphiwe Tshabalala free kick that gave the visitors the lead going to recess.

The Zebras legends, however, showed their mettle as they regrouped in the second half and were good on the ball dominating possession with some good combination play from the Moloi brothers; Dirang and Pontso as well as Patrick Motsepe and Boitumelo Mafoko in the midfield.

With their backs against the wall, the South African legends relied on their experience and superior fitness levels. They were rewarded later when substitute Monametsi Kelebale doubled the lead with an own goal to put the game way beyond the Zebras legends reach.

Speaking in an interview, sport minister, Tumiso Rakgare said it was important to always honour and remember yesteryear players.

“These are players who did our nation proud in 2012 through qualifying for nations cup and it is only fitting that we always pay respect to their legacy,” Rakgare said.

He highlighted that clash of the legends was a noble idea since it also emphasised the importance of social cohesion and doing things for a good cause. ENDS