A year of the majestic Zebras

BOITUMELO KHUTSAFALO
Staff Writer | Wednesday December 22, 2010 00:00

 

CAF decision to lift Togo's suspension meant that Group K matches start earlier than initially scheduled. Togo was put in the Zebras' group, which also includes Tunisia, Malawi, Chad and Togo. It is the only group in the qualifiers that consists of five teams. The decision increased the Zebras' chances of qualifying as the two top teams in that group automatically qualify for AFCON. By the time the World Cup dust settled, Zebras were sitting comfortably at the top of their group.

The 1-0 victory against Tunisia away was seen by most as a fluke but people started taking much notice of the Zebras' capability when they went on to beat Chad in Gaborone and drew 1-1 with Malawi in Blantyre. Togo became the next victims but the game that will be mostly remembered is Zebras' last game of the year, against Tunisia in Gaborone last month. The assumption was that Tunisia would seek revenge and would play a game of their lives but the Zebras stood their ground and Jerome Ramatlhwakwana's solitary effort settled the matter.Zebras are now sitting comfortably at the top of their group with 13 points.

This year has also seen the Zebras moving rapidly up the FIFA Rankings. In January this year, the Zebras were ranked at number 119 in the World. Today, they are ranked number 53, just three places away from being one of the top 50 teams in the world. By the start of the year 2010, no one thought by this time, Zebras would be one of the top 12 teams in Africa, fast forward to December 2010, Zebras are one of the most talked about sides in the continent. To the chagrin of opponents, the Zebras are moving up the FIFA rankings, with a clear intention to occupy some position among the world's top teams.  The Zebras are yet to lose a game in their 2012 African Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers. They find themselves on the brink of qualification for the first time after opening a six-point lead in Group K. They need only two points from their remaining three games to book a place in Gabon and Equatorial Guinea in 2012. The Zebras, under the tutelage of Stanley Tshosane, started climbing up the rankings in July after beating Tunisia in the opening match of the qualifiers when they were still ranked outside the top 100. They have never looked back since then, moving up in every ranking released to date. The improvement in rankings makes it easier for local players to play in top leagues in the world without necessarily needing to have a certain number of caps for the national team.

Local players have recently started attracting immense interest from foreign teams with scouts, especially from South Africa, coming to Botswana to attend league games and look for talent. There are currently six players plying their trade in the South African Premier Soccer League (PSL). BFA deserve a tap in the back for sticking to their decision to hire a local coach, Stanley Tshosane, who despite the disapproval from a lot of people when he was appointed, has done a sterling job.