16 Jun 2016

The senior national football team, Zebras, travelled to Namibia for the COSAFA Senior Championships yesterday minus five players.

Peter Butler’s men will face hosts and defending champions, Namibia, in the quarterfinals at Sam Nujoma Stadium tomorrow at 5:30pm.

 The Zebras did not feature in the group stages after being seeded into the quarterfinals.

Players who did not travel with the team are Ofentse Nato, Mogakolodi Ngele, Segolame Boy, Galabgwe Moyana and Mosimanegape Robert.

Butler confirmed the five players absence. He said Nato pulled out of the team for personal reasons, while Robert and Moyana were nursing injuries. 

Butler said though Boy had fully recovered from his injury, the technical team believed he was not yet fit for the match. 

Ngele was playing in CAF Champions League with his club Mamelodi Sundowns.

The Zebras will be aiming to go one further than their performance last year when they defeated South Africa on penalties to reach the semifinals. 

Butler’s men departed the competition after losing 2-1 to Mozambique in the semifinals.

Other quarterfinal fixtures pitted South Africa against winners of Group B, Zambia against Swaziland and DR Congo against Mozambique. 

Semifinals are billed for Wednesday next week while the final wiould be on Saturday. 

The tournament began last weekend with the group stages. 

The full Zebras squad:

 Goalkeepers: Kabelo Dambe, Mwampule Masule 

Defenders: Thato Kebue, Mosha Gaolaolwe, Boitumelo Mafoko, Tebogo Sosome, Lesenya Ramoraka, Olekantse Mambo, Keolopile Molemi

Midfielders: Lemponye Tshireletso, Tapiwa Gadibolae, Joel Mogorosi, Lemogang Maswena, Lesego Galenamotlhale, Lebogang Ditsele, Kabelo Seakanyeng, Hendrick Moyo

Strikers: Thabang Sesinyi, Omaatla Kebatho and Onkabetse Makgantai.ENDS