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Botswana: Zebras Fail the Test Again
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Mmegi/The Reporter (Gaborone)
28 March 2008
Posted to the web 31 March 2008
Tshepo Molwane
Gaborone
It is the same old story. The Zebras suffered a 1-0 defeat at the hands of visiting Zimbabwe in an international friendly at the National Stadium on Wednesday night.
Once again, the Zebras under the tutelage of Colwyn Rowe failed to apply themselves in a game they could have won easily. Instead, it was Zimbabwe which was comfortable on the night and dictated the pace as if they were playing at home. From the first whistle, the Warriors showed tactical maturity and looked more threatening unlike the Zebras. The Zebras' display raises more worries ahead of the 2010 World Cup/African Nations Cup qualifiers, which start at the end of May.
Against Zimbabwe, it was expected that Rowe would give new players a chance to cut their teeth but instead, he went for the tried and tested. It is a puzzle why the likes of Oteng Moalosi, Edwin Moalosi and Malepa 'Chippa' Bolelang have been called into camp if they cannot even feature in a friendly. The Zebras' lack of cohesion and direction left thousands of Botswana football supporters disappointed at the end of 90 minutes. Some foreign-based players in the Zebras' line-up looked out of sorts and Rowe failed to introduce his substitutions in time to test if they can stand the pressure in international games. The Wednesday game once again showed the need for the Botswana Football Association (BFA) to employ an assistant coach to help Rowe when the going gets tough. It was obvious on Wednesday that the Briton did not know when to make substitutions and had to be goaded by dissatisfied supporters to act. There is no doubt that the Zebras have to play tougher opposition in the build-up to the 2010 qualifiers, otherwise a place at the African showpiece in Angola remains a mere dream. Rowe must stop relying on the same players who have proved that their time in the national team is up.
On a good note, despite the defeat, Township Rollers' captain Boitumelo Mafoko was outstanding in a three-man defence. He was never intimidated by the deadly combination of Manchester City's Benjani Mwaruwari and Gilbert Mushangazike of Orlando Pirates of South Africa. Another player who deserves credit is Notwane's enterprising midfielder Dirang Moloi who played his heart out in the middle of the pack. He did not find the going easy especially in the first half as he had to chase the shadows of Vusa Nyoni.
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With the friendly against Brazil coming up on Tuesday, it remains to be seen how the Zebras are going to fare. The defeat against Zimbabwe has left Batswana wondering if there is a need to throng to the National Stadium for the April's Fool Day tie. But the game provides Rowe with another chance to redeem himself.
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| Copyright © 2008 Mmegi/The Reporter. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). To contact the copyright holder directly for corrections -- or for permission to republish or make other authorized use of this material, click here. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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