Bafana Bafana spoil COSAFA run at AFCON
Thursday, January 18, 2024 | 850 Views |
Bafana Bafana fell 2-0 to Mali. PIC:SAFA MEDIA
Botswana's neighbours to the south kick-started their AFCON campaign against a marauding Mali on Tuesday and went down 2-0 in a game they could easily have lost with a bigger margin. Mali's win saw the West Africans go top of Group E ahead of their next match against Tunisia. Meanwhile, South Africa's loss relegated them to the bottom spot of the group standings before they take on Namibia on Sunday. The Brave Warriors (Namibia) took off to a brilliant start in the tournament when they stunned Tunisia 1-0 to secure their first win on their fourth AFCON appearance.
The Warriors' historic victory puts them at second position in Group E. When the two southern African sides meet on Sunday, Namibia will be looking to further stamp its authority, while a win for South Africa would rekindle their hope to remain in the tournament a little longer. So far, Namibia is the only COSAFA side to have collected maximum points, while The Mambas of Mozambique, Angola and Zambia's ‘Chipolopolo’ drew their opening games against favourites Egypt, Algeria and Democratic Republic of Congo respectively.
Batswana who marched peacefully for 'Justice for Tshepi' demanded answers. They have now received a detailed account of police investigation and a promise that the file is with the Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP). The real test is whether the state now keeps its word without further prodding. In his address, the minister asked the nation to trust the process. He spoke of rigour, not neglect, and pointed to 10 months of...