Letsile Tebogo’s golden moment on August 8 appears to have reinvigorated the winning spirit, such that even the often misfiring football has joined the party.
Since the evening of August 8 when Botswana won another Olympic Games medal, Gaborone United’s Red Roses reached the final of the COSAFA CAF Champions League qualifier while Orapa United and Jwaneng Galaxy both advanced to the next round of their respective continental assignments. The Zebras are preparing to return to the pitch with back-to-back Africa Cup of Nations final qualifications against Mauritania and Egypt next month. The hope is that the Zebras also finally kick-back to life after years of agony to ensure that the country’s most followed sport forms part of positive conversations. One hopes that the Tebogo effect rubs on to all other codes. Tebogo himself has continued his positive trajectory, bagging two Diamond League wins since his Paris triumph. It is now difficult to picture Tebogo in any other position except number one, particularly in his favoured 200m.
The Paris after taste has been sweet as the Gaborone United women’s team went all the way to the final on their debut appearance at the CAF Champions League regional qualifier. GU were actually just a penalty kick from sealing a first ever COSAFA triumph by any local side. The Red Roses’ performance augurs well for the Mares who are due to compete at their second Africa Cup of Nations finals next year. It also speaks volumes about the level of the local women’s game and for that the Botswana Football Association deserves credit. It will be unfair to criticize the BFA when all goes wrong and forget to applaud them on the instance when something is right. The country’s two representatives in the CAF interclub competitions, Galaxy and Orapa United, have been worthy ambassadors after the completion of the first round of fixtures. Galaxy had to do it the harder way as they needed penalties to overcome Namibia’s African Stars.
The Jwaneng side trailed 1-0 from the first leg. However, there were no such troubles for Orapa who dispatched Foresters FC from Mauritius. The Galaxy Stars and the Ostriches have earned themselves mouth-watering second round ties. Galaxy face popular South African side, Orlando Pirates, while Zimbabwe’s Dynamos are Orapa’s opponents. Both matches are expected to attract good crowds given that Pirates enjoy a large following in Botswana, while the same can be said of Dynamos. The two local sides are in danger of having the minority supporters yet they will be playing at home. Dynamos fans are likely to drown those from Orapa while the same against Galaxy is a strong possibility, unless if home supporters, even the neutrals, throng the National Stadium to back the local sides. But the excitement around the second round fixtures bodes well for football lovers. And Mohammed Salah's Egypt is also on the way to face the Zebras. Tebogo is almost guaranteed his first Diamond League title as he has been utterly dominant on his debut. It is going to be an exciting few weeks ahead for sports enthusiasts.
