24 Mar 2021

The Zebras will today walk onto the Francistown Obed Itani Chilume Stadium turf for a crucial AFCON qualifier against Zimbabwe in new stripes.

This follows the launch of a new kit just two days before the clash with hope that their jerseys would make them invisible on the battle ground and ultimately help them to triumph over the visiting Warriors in the do or die encounter.

The Zebras would be dominantly sky blue and vertically black striped with white sleeves in their home jersey.

A peek into the significance of the Zebras stripes indicates that they serve to dazzle and confuse predators and biting insects or to control the animal’s body heat.
Individual stripes are also said to be unique, with a social purpose in helping the Zebras recognise one another, hence the squad is expected to use this to their advantage and as a magic wand to gallop the marauding opponents.

Botswana Football Association (BFA) spokesperson, Tumo Mpatane said in an interview that they were looking forward to Zimbabwe’s game where the Zebras would be donning their new gear.

“We will face both Zimbabwe and Algeria not fearful, but hopeful and dreaming of playing at the AFCON finals. Some 10 years ago on March 26 we qualified for AFCON, as fate and history would have it, today we have an opportunity to put our hand up amongst countries that might qualify for the finals,” he said.

Meanwhile, a press release from BFA says the association and Umbro South Africa are pleased to present the 21/22 home, away and alternate kit for the Botswana national teams.

The release says, unlike previous seasons, all three jersey designs were inspired by fan submissions and incorporate various elements of Botswana iconography.

It says the home jersey features black stripes against a background of traditional sky blue, capped with white sleeves, a visual reimagining of the Botswana flag.

The away kit is strikingly simple in its minimalism, teaming black horizontal stripes with a crisp white base.

Echoing the striped silhouettes of the home and away kit, the alternate jersey features a black-on-black stripe building into a watermarked Zebra created by the negative space; a subtle nod to Botswana’s national animal and the team’s namesake.

Further, it says all jerseys are made from a lightweight, breathable performance fabric and will be worn by the Zebras in their AFCON qualifying fixture against Zimbabwe.

Replica jerseys will be available through the football association and its affiliated retailers late next month. ENDS