The Moses Mabhida Stadium hosted the semifinals of the 2019 Cosafa Cup on Wednesday where four nations battled it out for two spots in the final.
Botswana faced Lesotho in the first match which got underway at 17h00 as both teams looked to seal their passage to the final.
The Zebras dictated the proceedings from the first whistle and managed to break the deadlock through the experienced forward Joel Mogorosi in the sixth minute.
Through their dominance in the first 30 minutes, Botswana continued to probe for their second goal and their efforts were rewarded when Segolame Boy doubled their lead on the half-hour mark.
Botswana would take their feet off the pedal in the second half, thus allowing the men from the mountainous kingdom to pull one back.
Sera Motebang found the back of the net for Likoena with 12 minutes to go, but it was not enough as the match finished with the score on 2-1.
Meanwhile, the defeat means Lesotho will face Zimbabwe in the third/fourth play-off match on Friday evening at the same venue.
Shifting focus to the second clash of the day, defending champions Zimbabwe were looking to secure a spot in the final at the expense of four-time champions Zambia.
The Zimbabweans were on the front foot in the first-half, where skipper Knowledge Musona was key for the six-time Cosafa Cup champions.
However, the highlight of the half was when Austin Muwowo was denied by Elvis Chipezeze from the penalty spot, when the Baroka FC goalkeeper produced a stunning save to ensure the score remained level at half-time.
Coach Rahman Gumbo’s troops came back from the tunnel with more hunger, yet they failed to beat the stubborn defence manned by the likes of Clatous Chama, and ultimately, it ended with no goals after 90 minutes.
In the penalty shoot-out, Tandi Mwape, Jackson Chirwa, Mwila Phiri and Bruce Musakanya all converted their spot kicks to ensure coach Aggrey Chiyangi’s side walked away with a 4-2 win.
On the other hand, the likes of Khama Billiat, Admiral Muskwe missed their kicks and although Marvellous Nakamba as well as Tendayi Darikwa’s were successful with theirs, it was not enough for them to secure a win.
Resulting from the win for the 2012 African champions, Zambia have now set up a date with the Zebras of Botswana in the final, scheduled for 15h00 at the 2010 Fifa World Cup venue on Saturday.
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