Kickoff (Cape Town)
19 August 2008
The Cape Town-based Botswana trio of Dipsy Selolwane (Ajax Cape Town), Jerome Ramatlhakwana and Mogogi Gabonamong (both Santos), left today to join the Botswana national team at the Johannesburg airport, from where the Zebras will fly to Harare to play against Zimbabwe tomorrow night.
The Botswana government, under the new leadership of Ian Kgama, is fiercely against Robert Mugabe's government and does not recognise Mugabe as the legitimate president.
However, the Botswana Minister of Foreign Affairs has told Mmegi newspaper that the political stand off does not mean that they will not play against Zimbabwe.
"We have always said that we do not have a problem with the people of Zimbabwe. We have a problem with Robert Mugabe as we do not recognise him as the president of Zimbabwe, so the Zebras can go and play there," Minister Phandu Skelemani said.
The Botswana Football Association also said they have been told by Interpol that it is safe to go to Zimbabwe.
The match is being played in preparation for the Zebras' crucial encounter against Madagascar in the 2010 World Cup/Afcon qualifiers scheduled for next month.
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