07 Jul 2025

The Botswana senior men’s national football team on Sunday hoisted the Independence Cup at the Bingu National Stadium in Malawi. 

The Zebras emerged triumphant over the host team, the Flames, 3-0 in a penalty shootout after a 1-1 stalemate over the 90 minutes. With domestic football still in recess and players returning to their clubs for pre-season training, the Zebras looked rusty and it took some brilliant goalkeeping by goalminder, Goitseone Phoko, to douse the Malawian Flames over the contest.

Held as part of Malawi’s 61^st anniversary of independence festivities, a large crowd in carnival atmosphere added impetus to the Malawian side who started in a buoyant mood, playing balls into wide attacking channels. Mothusi Cooper kept winning balls in the middle of the park and also attempting to launch balls into pockets of attacking space where Thabang Sesinyi, Thero Setsile and Gilbert Baruti periodically took the game to Malawi in counter attacking offensive transition play.

After a goalless stalemate in a first half where the balance of play was skewed in favour of Malawi, the Zebras emerged from the half time dressing room team talk in attacking mode. Just a minute into the second half, Sesinyi put the Zebras ahead, with good ball control, charging into the left side of the Flames› penalty area before unleashing a shot that went past Malawian goal minder, Richard Chimbamba. Botswana kept looking for a second but Malawi soon regained composure and their dominance of the possession stakes.

The Zebras conceded after a good Malawi build up ended with a ball teed into the box; indecision by Phoko, Gaolaolwe heading back goal ward and Thabo Leinanyane trying to clear his lines- the referee adjudged the ball to have crossed the line and Malawi cancelled the deficit. Credited to Gaolaolwe as an own goal, the Malawi equaliser boosted the morale of the Flames as the local crowd spurred them on.

It went down to a penalty shootout, where Botswana emerged 3-0 victors. Mcdonald Lameck and Nickson Mwase missed the first and third Malawian spot kicks; Phoko saving the second from Maxwell Paipi. For the Zebras, only Thabo Leinanyane missed, as Gaolaolwe, Ronald Fortune and Tebogo Kopelang scored to deliver the win. President Advocate Duma Boko and Malawi’s Dr Lazarus Chakwera awarded the Zebras their medals and trophy, which was lifted by captain on the day, Gaolaolwe. ENDS