Limping young Zebras beat Namibia

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The national Under-23 edged Namibia 1-0 in a game that got the two teams' qualification campaign for the 2012 London Olympic Games under way at the new Lobatse stadium on a hot Saturday afternoon.

The poorly-attended encounter found the young Zebras limping due to the absence of some key players in defender Thato 'Yellow' Bolwelweng and strikers Mogakolodi 'Tsotso' Ngele and Hendrick Moyo. The former two have an impending issue before the Botswana Football Association (BFA) Disciplinary Committee and have since been suspended by their club, Uniao Flamengo Santos, while Moyo missed the game due to unavailability of his passport. The young striker has been in scintillating form for his club - Extension Gunners - and had coach Daniel 'Chico' Nare fuming at the end of the game after the team missed multiple scoring chances in the game. Moyo apparently lost his passport three weeks ago after going to Mafikeng, South Africa, to play in some games without club permission.

As for the match, the young Zebras looked unsettled in the middle of the park where the Namibians were dictating the terms. The visitors managed to settle well into the game before the home side, testing young Zebras' goalie Kabelo Dambe with several shots in the opening minutes of the game. The young Dambe had to apply some delaying tactics to allow the coach to talk to the team in the hope they would find their rhythm. Finally, the home side found the all-important first goal to restore their composure. The only goal of the match came in the 20th minute through a neat header by Ofentse Nato following a corner by Odirile Kgaodi. The towering Gaborone United (GU) and Zebras midfielder's solitary goal made him the saviour of his team after passing a late fitness test in the build-up to the game against galloping Namibians.

Editor's Comment
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