Jan Novak
Dailysports's expert
Botswana
Zambia
In the second round of the COSAFA Cup group stage, Botswana will square off against Zambia. The clash is set to unfold in Bloemfontein on Wednesday, June 11, with kickoff scheduled for 15:00 Central European Time. I'm backing a bet focused on the match's goal tally.
Match preview
Botswana has only once in its history reached the final stage of the Africa Cup of Nations. Last year, the team achieved an excellent result in the qualifiers and will compete in Morocco in winter 2025, facing Benin, DR Congo, and Senegal in the group stage.
Their World Cup journey has been much less promising. Botswana has never played in a World Cup finals, and in the current qualification cycle, they sit third in their group. Algeria looks like the clear favorite, but Botswana still has a shot at second place.
In the 2019 COSAFA Cup, Botswana made it all the way to the final, only to lose to Zambia. Notably, the two sides met again in the playoffs a few years later, with the same outcome. For the Zebras, Zambia has become something of a bogey team.
In this year's COSAFA Cup, Botswana opened with a draw against the Comoros Islands. The second match is crucial—victory by a certain margin could see them through to the semifinals.
Zambia were crowned African champions in 2012, but since then have missed out on half of the tournament's final stages. This winter, they’ll take another shot at continental glory, having outpaced even reigning champions Ivory Coast in qualifying.
In the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations group stage, they’ll face Morocco, Mali, and the Comoros Islands—giving them a decent chance to reach the knockout rounds.
Dreams of World Cup qualification, however, seem set to remain just that. After a win over Congo in their group, Zambia suffered defeats to Niger, Morocco, and Tanzania, which has put their hopes in serious jeopardy ahead of the decisive fixtures.
In the COSAFA Cup, though, Zambia is the tournament’s most decorated side, boasting seven titles. In this edition, they lost their opening match to Comoros, and after the head-to-head clash with Botswana, their chances of progressing are all but gone.
Match facts
- Botswana has won just one of their last five matches.
- Zambia has lost their last two games by a combined score of 0-6.
- Botswana averages one goal per game, while Zambia averages 1.6 goals per match.
Probable lineups
- Botswana: Motswagole, Johnson, Nganda, Sakana, Bapaletse, Cooper, Modingwane, Serameng, Fortune, Maponda, Kgamangyane.
- Zambia: Mulenga, Banda, Sakala, Sakala, Soko, Tembo, Mulenga, Zulu, Siankombo, Chanza, Chisala.
H2H
- In the COSAFA Cup, Zambia has won all four matches against Botswana.
- Botswana has only beaten Zambia once in history.
Prediction
Both teams are in a tough group, with Botswana still holding hope of making the playoffs. Given the teams' playing styles and recent results, expect a tense, tightly contested affair with potentially few goals. My recommendation is to back under 2.5 total goals.
