Bright convinced Zebras will qualify despite early slump

That remains the country’s finest football moment, in an otherwise topsy-turvy journey. Six years later, David Bright and the Zebras have a perfect opportunity to return to the biennial soccer jamboree, but appear to be fluffing their lines.

The Zebras’ campaign has failed to move into second gear since a late Mauritania goal stunned the hosts, 1-0 at the Francistown Sports Complex in June last year. Days later, then Zebras coach, Peter Butler threw in the towel, and Bright was installed to steer the ship forward. After falling to underrated Mauritania, a nation that has never qualified for the AFCON finals, it appeared all gloom and doom for the Zebras. Initially, only the group winners were guaranteed qualification, plus three best placed runners up. But on July 20, 2017, a month after the Mauritania defeat, CAF threw the Zebras a lifeline.