Botswana Hoping For More Than Group Stage Finish At COSAFA U20

Botswana will be seeking a rare route out of the group stages of the TotalEnergies AFCON U20 Egypt 2023 | COSAFA Qualifier when they compete in Eswatini from October 6-16.
The Young Zebras have only qualified for the knockout rounds twice in the last 23 years, most often falling short in the pool stages.

The regional Under-20 competition also serves as a zonal qualifier for the continental finals in Egypt early next year. To book a ticket to Cairo, Botswana will need to finish in the top two, but they have never yet made the final in the past, while hosting the event in 2010 and 2011.

This year they have been drawn with hosts Eswatini, Zambia and Mauritius in Group A, and may feel they have a good chance to finish as at least the best runner-up.

The top side in each pool advances to the semifinals along with the best-placed team that ends in second.

Botswana have been regular participants in the COSAFA Under-20 Championships despite missing the tournament in 2017 and still seek a first ever trip to the final. Their best finishes in this competition came in 2009 and 2011 when they managed third place.

First, they beat Madagascar 3-2 on penalties after a 0-0 draw in the bronze-medal play-off in 2009. The Young Zebras had made it through their pool but lost 3-0 to South Africa in the semifinals.

In 2011, on home soil, they lost to Zambia in the semifinals before beating Malawi to bronze. In 2016 the side lost all three of their pool games without scoring a goal, while in 2018 they claimed four points from three games with a victory over Lesotho, a draw with Angola and defeat to Zimbabwe.

It was the same in 2019, where a 5-0 loss to hosts and eventual champions Zambia was followed by a draw with Malawi (2-2) and a win over Comoros (2-1).

They came close to a place in the knockout stages in 2020, the last time the competition was played, as they lost to Angola 4-0 but beat Eswatini 1-0, a result which saw all three sides on three points in the three-team group.

It was therefore decided on head-to-head, and they missed out.
The side has never qualified for the Africa Under-20 Championships, which will be a target this year.

BOTSWANA FINISHES IN LAST 23 YEARS

1999 – Group stages

2000 – Group stages

2001 – Group stages

2002 – Group stages

2003 – Group stages

2004 – Group stages

2005 – Group stages

2006 – Group stages

2007 – Group stages

2008 – Group stages

2009 – Third