About three years ago, Botswana’s national Under 23 made the country proud by achieving what their predecessors never did.
The team qualified for the group stages of the Olympic games and bowed out just one step shy of qualifying for the All Africa Games.
Previously, Botswana was always knocked out in the preliminary stages and many Batswana never really expected much from the team.
Currently, Botswana is almost back again to where they were three years ago.
They are just one step away from the All Africa Games and are also one match away from qualifying for the Olympics.
During the last All Africa Games Botswana was knocked out by South Africa by an aggregate score of 4-0 and this time around they are facing another Southern African team, Zimbabwe.
Just like in the last Olympic qualifiers, Botswana also faces another North African side, Egypt.
In 2008 it was Tunisia at which Botswana made history by defeating them with an aggregate score of 1-0, courtesy of Moemedi Moatlhaping’s goal. This time around it remains to be seen whether Botswana would recreate history and qualify for the All Africa games by beating Zimbabwe.
Zimbabwe has proved to be a hoodoo team for Botswana, be it at club, youth or senior level.
Botswana has also never beaten Egypt and it would be a great achievement for Botswana to eliminate a team that has been Africa’s power house for the past six years.
The biggest achievement for Botswana against Egypt was against the senior national team, in 2006, when Botswana played to a goalless draw.
On the other hand, former Under 20 national team coach, Teenage Mpote, believes Botswana can make it to the All Africa Games and even the Olympic group stages.
“Botswana football has improved over time and I believe this time around we can qualify for the All Africa Games and even the Olympics. For All Africa games we are playing a side that our incumbent team beat at the COSAFA Under 20 tourney two years back in South Africa. If we are determined enough, nothing can really stop us,” said Mpote.
He added that the current Botswana team is made up of players mainly from the Premier League and that should be an added advantage. He said the application during the game is what is going to matter the most.
Mpote’s words are echoed by Gaborone United care taker coach, Letang ‘Rasta’ Kgengwenyane.
He said if the current Under 23 coach, Daniel Nare, can be given all the support he needs the team can progress further.
“The same support that we see at the senior national team should be accorded to junior national teams. Coach Nare played against Swaziland in the first leg without most of his players and that is not good for football progression in the country. Nare should be able to play many friendly matches with tough opponents and we can see vast improvement,” he said.
