16 Oct 2013

Botswana will meet neighbours Zimbabwe in the COSAFA Under-20 Youth Championships group stages.

The 14-team tournament, which is billed for Lesotho, will run from December 3-15. The tournament would be returning after a one-year absence.

The competing countries were divided into four groups with neighbours Botswana and Zimbabwe pooled against Swaziland in Group D. Botswana will kick-off the competition with a clash against Swaziland in Maseru on December 3 before taking on Zimbabwe in Mafeteng four days later.

Group winners would advance to the semi-finals, making the two matches must win encounters for coach Odirile Matlhaku’s boys. The furthest Botswana had ever progressed in this competition was the semi-final stage in 2009 and 2011 editions.

It would be the third tournament in a row that Botswana face Swaziland in the group stages. In the 2011 tournament, which was held in Gaborone, Botswana drubbed Swaziland 3-0 and held Mozambique to a goalless draw, but bombed out of the competition after losing 2-0 to Zambia in the semifinals. Botswana also beat Swaziland 2-0 in 2010, but a 3-0 defeat to Zimbabwe saw them eliminated in the group stages.

Asked about preparations, Botswana Football Association acting technical director, Philemon Makhwengwe said the association was still in the process of finalising plans of preparing for the tournament. He said the squad was yet to commence training camps because players had school commitments. Ends