South Africa begin their 2019 Cosafa Cup campaign on Sunday afternoon as they take on Botswana in the quarterfinals.
With Bafana having one eye on the Africa Cup of Nations, the tournament has been used as an opportunity to breed in new blood into the national team set up, and U23 coach David Notoane has been put in charge to watch their development over the course of the competition.
It has certainly not been the best of preparation for Bafana with withdrawals to key players but they will be determined to impress with the tournament being held in their own back yard.
Meanwhile, Botswana are still licking their wounds after missing out on the Afcon in Egypt and will be keen to have a good outing in order to redeem themselves.
The clash is a repeat of last year’s Plate final where Bafana emerged 3-0 winners.
| Game | South Africa v Botswana |
| Date | Sunday, June 02 |
| Time | 15:00 pm SA Time |
TV Channel, Live Score & How To Watch
In South Africa, the game will be shown live on SuperSport 4 and SABC 1. You can also catch live updates on Goal.com .
| Live Match Centre | TV Channel |
|---|---|
| Goal.com | SS4 & SABC 1 |
Squads & Team News
With the Bafana dressing room rattled by the withdrawal of Keagan Dolly through injury and Phakamani Mahlambi due to alleged ill-discipline – an accusation which has since been refuted by the interim coach, Notoane will have to shuffle his team around.
Notoane has opted for youthful looking Cosafa squad, and players such as Luther Singh, Liam Jordan and TS Galaxy’s Nedbank Cup hero Zakhele Lepasa are likely to feature.
In midfield, Teboho Mokoena is almost certainly the player to watch. Despite being just 22, he has been a stalwart in the SuperSport United team over the past season and his experience will be key.
Meanwhile, at the back, Reyaad Pieterse could offer some leadership ability between the sticks.
On the side of Botswana, coach Mogomotsi Mpote has named a squad filled with experience and many who are familiar with playing in South Africa.
Mpho Kgaswana is a former Baroka player, while Ofentse Nato played for Bidvest Wits.
The Zebras will offer a solid test for Bafana, and with the last five meetings between the two sides having ended in Bafana’s favour they will hope to finally get one over the 1996 African champions.
Match Preview
This will be the 11th meeting between the two sides since 2007, of which Botswana have won just once and drawn once.
South Africa have a formidable record and they will hope to continue their dominance as they build for the future.
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