The year is 2010 and it is midweek on a typical November afternoon in Gaborone. It is 3pm and a small but compact University of Botswana (UB) Stadium is already filled to the brim as the facility prepares to host one of many key Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers. Supporters clad in the nation's blue, black, and white, are already in full voice ready to cheer the Zebras to another campaign-changing victory. It was a time when, from the ashes, a nation saw a hopeless campaign rise and morph into a brittle reality.
The expectations and excitement were palpable in almost every corner of the capital and beyond as Stanley Tshosane marshalled a brave team of soldiers who left everything on every blade of the UB Stadium grass. Elsewhere around the country, a nation held its collective breath as the Zebras trotted into what, hitherto were unfamiliar surroundings on November 17 to confront one of Africa's football Goliaths, Tunisia. The UB Stadium had been turned into the Zebras' stomping ground, thanks to the unavailability of Botswana's ceremonial home of football, the National Stadium. The traditional home of football was closed for renovations, as part of preparation for the 2010 World Cup, which was hosted across the border in South Africa. The nation did not benefit from the prolonged and controversial National Stadium upgrade as the 2010 World Cup bypassed Botswana, with participating teams preferring to set base in South Africa. However, that was immaterial to the UB Stadium which had found its moment to shine as the National Stadium renovations proved to be a blessing in disguise for the 8, 000-seater facility. The UB Stadium, located just adjacent to the National Stadium and within the precinct of the country's premier institution of higher learning, accepted the opportunity to host the Zebras with both hands.
