Zebras Off To A Good Start

Editor | Monday July 12, 2010 00:00

With six points, the team currently leads Group K. This is against expectations, considering that Botswana is in the same group as Tunisia and Togo, both of which have participated in the Africa Cup of Nations before, Togo going even further to the World Cup finals. It is against this background that Botswana is decidedly the underdog of Group K.

The Zebras did well to win their first match against much-fancied opponents, Tunisia, in their first game. They capped the good start to the campaign by winning against Chad over the weekend, piquing new levels of support and excitement while banishing sniggering that Tunis was nothing but a stroke of luck.

We hope what is beginning to look like a good run of the Zebras will break into a gallant gallop to eventual victory. Granted, some people are not happy with the overall performance of the team in terms of application on the field, particularly in the last game. But we cannot withhold it from the technical team that the Zebras have collected much-needed points and cannot be faulted for celebrating.

Even so, we believe it apt to reiterate the warning by the team's coach, Stanley Tshosane, prior to the weekend encounter that complacency should not be allowed to creep in as this could spoil - as they say in softball - the whole ballgame for the team. But the coach's saying so is not enough; the whole management must work hard on the psychology of the players going into the coming games.

A word of salutation must also go to the supporters: Your attendance was a factor in the result. Taking into account that the team had not been doing well for quite a spell before the AFCON qualifiers, it was good to see UB Stadium almost filled to capacity. Of course, the decision to release civil servants to go to the game is also salutary. We take the opportunity to appeal to the supporters to rally behind the Zebras even if when they fall on hard times because that is when friends - all weather friends! - are most valuable.

Not least, we acknowledge and take off our hats to the ministers there present. Also noteworthy was the presence of former president and statesman, Sir Ketumile Masire. As the result showed, a good measure of political will wins goals! The Minister of Sport, who usually cuts a lone cabinet figure at games, must have felt good to be in the company of colleagues. Once again, bravo Zebras!