Group G of the CAF 2026 World Cup qualifiers is set to commence with an anticipated clash between Botswana and Mozambique at the Francistown Stadium scheduled for Thursday.
Match Preview
The hosts, eyeing consecutive victories, triumphed in a hard-fought 2-1 win against Eswatini in a friendly matchup at the Lobatse Stadium on October 16.
Tumisang Orebonye initiated the scoring for Didier Gomes Da Rosa’s side, later equalized by Neliso Myeni before Lemogang Maswena secured the winning goal.
This victory marked the Zebras’ first win in five outings since their triumph over Eswatini in the COSAFA Cup group stages back in July.
Botswana now faces an opposition that has a favorable record, losing only once in the last five encounters, securing three wins in four.
With an improved home record of two wins and a draw from their previous three matches, the hosts appear confident ahead of this clash.
Contrarily, Mozambique suffered a 3-2 defeat against Nigeria’s Super Eagles at the Estadio Municipal de Albufeira on October 16.
Despite an early lead by Geny Catamo, they trailed 3-1 at halftime, eventually conceding their first defeat in four matches across all competitions and their first friendly since the beginning of the year.
With a challenging fixture against Algeria looming after the Botswana match, Mozambique aims to initiate their World Cup qualifying journey positively.
Botswana’s recent form across all competitions includes a varied pattern of results: W-L-D-L-D-W.
Mozambique, on the other hand, has witnessed a sequence of results in all competitions: D-L-W-W-D-L.
Team news
Botswana’s Tumisang Orebonye, despite not netting in 11 club matches this season, is expected to spearhead their attack. However, Ethany Mahoto remains absent from the squad since November last year.
For Mozambique, Geny Catamo is unlikely to play after missing Sporting CP’s last three outings. Faisal Bangal, with six goals in as many league games, is a notable player to watch.
Potential lineups:
Botswana:(4-3-3)
Malapela;
Velaphi, Kopelang, Ditlhokwe, Mangolo;
Mohutsiwa, Ditsele, Modingwane;
Seakanyeng, Orebonye, Sesinyi
Mozambique:(4-2-1-3)
Fasistencio;
Langa, Nene, Dove, Domingos;
Guima, Amadu;
Witi;
Bangal, Gilfo, Ratifo
Prediction: Botswana 1-1 Mozambique
The upcoming match seems evenly poised, with both sides expected to match each other, culminating in a drawn result after 90 minutes.