This week back-to-back away and home losses to Equatorial Guinea saw the Zebras crash out of the AFCON contention. The team will miss the continental showpiece for the sixth consecutive time since its maiden appearance in 2012.
As the nation is reeling from the disappointment of missing out on the AFCON qualification, the western neighbours, Namibia are in a celebratory mood as an AFCON berth is just a grasp away.
The Brave Warriors beat five-time champions, Cameroon 2-1 in their Group C qualifier played in Johannesburg, South Africa this week. The victory sent Namibia to the top of the group with five points, one more than the second-placed Indomitable Lions in the three-team group.
Burundi, the other team in the group, have played two matches and have one point, giving Namibia a good chance of reaching the finals of Africa’s premier tournament.
The Brave Warriors had the largest Botswana Premier League (BPL) representation in this round of qualifiers outside the Zebras’ squad. Four BPL players were called up to Collin Benjamin’s squad to face Cameroon.
A double figures tally in front of the goals meant Jwaneng Galaxy’s forward, Wendell Rudath returns to the Brave Warriors’ squad. Masitaoka’s captain, Ivan Kamberipa, Gaborone United’s (GU) reliable defender, Kennedy Amutenya and Galaxy’s skilful midfielder, Marcel Papama were also in the squad. The quintet, however, did not play a key role in the Brave Warriors’ two games ties against Cameroon.
Rudath came on as a substitute in the away leg and added a 12th cap in the Brave Warriors’ famous win at the Dobsonville Stadium. The trio of Amutenya, Papama, and Kamberipa watched both ties from the bench.
The local league will, however, earn some marks for attracting internationally competitive talents. Former Mochudi Centre Chiefs attacking midfielder, Absalom Limbondi was a perfect example as he scored the winner against the Indomitable Lions in Johannesburg. The Brave Warriors could look to the East for the final qualifier match against Burundi later this year. Masitaoka’s duo of industrious midfielder, Marius Kotze and forward Ambrosius Amseb were overlooked for the Cameroon matches but had initially made the preliminary squad.
Record league champions, Township Rollers’ trio of Terry Uiseb, Denver Meyer, and Denis Tjizumauwe will be eager to catch the eye of Collin Benjamin after a rather unfruitful debut season in the BPL.
The trio is capped at the senior level and will be desperate to impress for places in the Namibia AFCON 2023 squad. Meanwhile, former South African junior teams’ forwards, Siyanda Ngubo and Sizwe Twala are miles off Bafana Bafana’s reckoning.
South Africa booked their place at the AFCON finals and the duo is not expected to be in contention. The only time the BPL had representation at the AFCON finals was in 2012 and it was a local players’ affair.
