Botswana national football team coach Mogomotsi Mpote is upbeat his side will overturn the 1-0 home loss to Madagascar in the first leg of the second round of the 2022 African Nations Championship (CHAN) qualifiers.
Botswana lost the match on Saturday and the team left for Madagascar this Monday afternoon where they are scheduled to play the second leg in Antananarivo on Friday.
Mpote told media before the team’s departure that they would go all out for a win in Antananarivo, as only a win will see them qualify for the second tier continental competition for the first time.
He said failure to execute their game plan early in Saturday’s match led to the loss as the opponents capitalized on their defensive errors.
“We played well in the second half but they were already on the lead and did well to protect the score to the end of the game,” he added.
Botswana saw off Eswatini in the first round to set up a two-leg tie against the islanders in the second round qualifiers, where winners qualify for the finals to be hosted in Algeria in January 2023.
The only time Botswana qualified for a major continental tournament was in 2012 when they qualified for the Africa Cup of Nations in Gabon.