“People do not understand how we hurt when we lose. Every time we go into a match, we want to win. We want to make our country proud.”
Tumisang Orebonye’s words after Botswana men senior football national team’s 0 – 2 loss to Equatorial Guinea in the first leg in Malabo carried on in the 2 – 3 loss to the same team at Francistown here at home this past Tuesday.
For both legs, more than 180 minutes of football, the Zebras, as the Botswana national team is known, had taken the battle to Equatorial Guinea. Statistics do not lie. Over the two-leg encounter, the Zebras deserved better.
In the first leg away in Malabo, the Zebras, even playing with a man short for almost the entire second half dominated possession. The team enjoyed an overall 56% possession. However, profligacy in front of goal and decision making let the team down.
Away in Malabo in front of a hostile crowd, the Zebras failed to register a shot on target in the first half while Equatorial Guinea had two. In the second half, with the introduction of Lebogang Ditsele and Orebonye, Botswana took control.
Even after falling a man down in the 53rd minute, they still dominated possession. Statistics indicate that the Zebras enjoyed 63% possession. They even created two gilt edged chances, something which they had failed to do in the first half. The downside was that they failed to convert either of the chances created, something which coach Mogomotsi Mpote highlighted.
Come the second leg of the encounter four days later in Gaborone, the story repeated itself. The Zebras dominated proceedings and enjoyed 63% possession overall. They made 19 attempts at goal, six of which were on target and two resulted in goals.
Equatorial Guinea on the other hand made six attempts at goal, had two on target and scored three goals thanks to an own goal by the Zebras. On statistics alone, Botswana should have won the encounter, but fate had other ideas.
While Mpote sought to deflect the problem of profligacy in front of goal, six shots on target from 19 shots at goal and two goals point otherwise. It points to the team’s struggles, even though scoring two goals at home since Adel Amrouche’s reign was a welcome development.
Not surprisingly, when facing the media in pre match briefing, a defiant Zebras captain Thatayaone Ditlhokwe, though hurt by the loss, expressed pride at the team’s performance. “The team has tried its level best. There is nothing we can do. If it is not your day it is not your day, you cannot force it,” the captain said.
“Even after losing away at Equatorial Guinea, you could see that we were disappointed. They are beating themselves because they can see that there was a chance to win. That is why I say they have tried their level best and have thrown everything. The most important thing is the attitude they display after the match. They show they are disappointed at the loss, which shows they have a winning mentality.”
Having led the team in prayer as he also did during matches throughout the two-legged encounter, Ditlhokwe understands more than a prayer is needed. He knows the team is still young, which bodes well for the future. But this alone is not enough.
“Yes, we want to qualify. But if you look at the rankings of the leagues, where our league is ranked compared to other leagues, it is unfair to want to qualify. Now it is all about building the team, having many friendly games, taking them to camp so that they can have that exposure.”
“Look at the rankings. Let us face reality. Look at how our league is ranked and how many players make the national team from Botswana. Only three or four players play outside. Only three players. Against how many against 11 players who play in Spain and France. So, it is very different. If we want to win, we have to follow the right process. The team which qualified in 2012 had been together for a long time, they even went for camp in Brazil. They had exposure,” he explained.
