COSAFA Cup hosts South Africa wil come here currently tied in second place of Group A, while Botswana lead after they defeated Eswatini in their opening fixture.
Bafana Bafana took control of proceedings against Namibia in their opening fixture but found themselves behind late on in the first half. Morena Ramoreboli’s side, however, never lost concentration and replied with a sweet strike from Rowan Human to level the score soon after the restart.
Unfortunately for Bafana, they were unable to breakdown a low-block defense and force a winner and must now work on their approach as they look to put Botswana to the sword.
The performance of the boys was not up to scratch due to some rustiness as some had only stepped onto the pitch for the first time in three months. Ramoreboli’s side would have been working hard on the training ground to right their wrongs and make sure they collect maximum points in their must-win game against Botswana on Saturday.
Ramoreboli and his technical staff would have analyzed Botswana and identified some areas where they can take advantage of as they make mistakes when pressed high in tight spaces, and where they can attack the Zebras and dominate possession. In head-to-head stats, South Africa and Botswana have met in 18 previous matches. Bafana Bafana have claimed 14 wins compared to two for the Zebras, while two games have ended in draws.
Bafana Bafana need to come out and play on the front foot from the first whistle and look to dominate possession while being clinical in the final third, but at the same time, be disciplined defensively as this will be a difficult game against a hungry and energetic Botswana team.
To Win Match
South Africa 6/10 | Draw 24/10 | Botswana 44/10
Botswana started their group stage campaign off with a hard-fought victory against Eswatini, edging Sihlangu Semnikati 1-0. The Zebras controlled the match and played a direct game, putting in a lot of crosses and playing long balls into the final third with the towering Lebogang Ditsele making his presence felt, scoring the only goal of the game, and rewarded with the Man of the Match award for his impressive performance.
Botswana have never beaten South Africa in normal time and have lost their previous three meetings, failing to score in three of the last five meetings. Coach Mogomotsi Mpote will be working hard to change these records as they have won their last two games and their last five goals have been scored by different players.
Mpote hopes his team can continue with this momentum when they face Bafana Bafana and grow in confidence as the tournament progresses. This will not be an easy matchup for the Zebras, but hard work and determination could be the difference on the day. Mpote could use being the underdog coming into this fixture as fuel to push the boys on to pull off an upset against a more superior opponent in South Africa.
The Zebras have had strong claims in this tournament before coming runners up in 2016 and 2019 which shows they have what it takes to go all the way. Game management will be crucial for the Zebras and they must take advantage of the mistakes South Africa make in order to come away with anything from this important fixture.
Verdict: South Africa (6/10)
South Africa is by far the more superior team in this fixture and should come out guns blazing from the first whistle. South Africa are confidently tipped to win.
