Mmegi

Young Zebras bid for AFCON berth

Stalemate: Botswana and Zimbabwe played to a 1-1 draw in the opener yesterday PIC: BFA
Stalemate: Botswana and Zimbabwe played to a 1-1 draw in the opener yesterday PIC: BFA

The Under-20 men's team is in Mozambique as it bids to qualify for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations. The Young Zebras travelled to Mozambique on Tuesday for the COSAFA Under-20 Championship, which serves as a qualifier tournament for the continental spectacle to be held in South Africa in January.

The local boys would need to reach the final of the COSAFA Championship as only two spots are up for grabs in Mozambique. The team underwent a six-week long training and played a number of preparatory games against Eswatini, Mares and local elite league teams as head coach, Thaloba Nthaga, looked for a more refined side ahead of the qualifier. He said the focus was more on conditioning in the first weeks of training, whilst in the last three weeks, the team shifted focus to refining their tactics. On Wednesday, the Young Zebras had a recovery session before wrapping up their preparations. Nthaga said he had done his homework against the group opponents and expects a positive tournament from his side. Young Zebras are pitted against the hosts, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, and Eswatini in Group A.

"The only team I have seen is Eswatini because we have played them. I do not think the way they would play they are not going to be much different from the senior team. Remember, I travelled to COSAFA with the senior team, and we were in the same group with Eswatini and Mozambique but not Zimbabwe. So I have an idea of what to expect. I expect Zimbabwe to be a bit more direct and physical. I expect Eswatini to be more of the same thing and Mozambique that tries to play possession-based football, so I have an idea of what to expect from the teams in our group," Nthaga said.

Editor's Comment
No room for perjury

It seems some government accounting officers, sworn to tell "the truth, the whole truth, and nothing else but the truth" before Almighty God, may have deliberately lied during the committee’s vital work. If proven, this is not merely unprofessional; it is perjury, a serious criminal offence and it strikes at the very heart of responsible government.The PAC’s role is fundamental. After each financial year, it painstakingly examines how public...

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