Mogorosi was responsible for Zebras’ five victories in 10 games
BONGANI MALUNGA
Zebras got off on the wrong foot in Group I of the 2019 AFCON Qualifiers after suffering a 1-0 defeat against Mauritania at the Francistown Sports Complex this past weekend. The loss sees Botswana as the joint bottom club alongside Angola in Group I, with goal difference separating the two winless nations.
Zebras forwards were guilty of missing numerous chances, Peter Butler’s charges controlled much of the game and created scoring chances which were missed by the side’s forwards and strikers. Many spectators and pundits lamented the lack of experience in the attacking department as a possible factor in Zebras’ failure to score on Saturday.
The most notable absentee was the side’s top scorer in the Butler era, Joel Mogorosi. The Township Rollers forward was not part of the squad for the first time in Butler’s tenure as the Zebras coach.
In the previous World Cup and AFCON Qualifiers Botswana won five out of 10 total games, coincidentally a Mogorosi goal was the common denominator in all the Zebras victories.
He scored five goals in all the victories, including four goals at the Francistown Stadium where he is the highest scoring player so far. Mogorosi’s goals came against Eritrea at home and away, he also scored in a 2-1 victory over Mali in the 2018 World Cup Qualifiers.
The former Bloemfontein Celtic player also scored in home games against Comoros and Burkina Faso in the 2017 AFCON Qualifiers. It appears the national team is moving away from the Mogorosi era but the weekend performance suggests that it may have been a bit too soon.