It was the first time the Zebras had ever qualified for the AFCON finals.
The improbable run began in the usually impregnable fortress of Tunis on July 1, 2010 as the attention of the soccer world was directed to South Africa and the continent’s first World Cup.
Botswana triumphed 1-0 behind a Jerome Ramatlhakawne goal and a disciplined defense, a successful formula the team would repeat. The Zebras went on to defeat Chad at home, draw Malawi away, defeat Togo at home, and top Tunisia in Gaborone to seal the deal.
Goalkeeper coach Thabo Motang described the dawning awareness that something had changed.
“When we started, we just wanted to see how far we could go. We didn’t actually focus on coming here [to Gabon]. But then as time went on, we realized we could actually achieve what we wanted.
“After our first game, beating Tunisia, that game gave us motivation, but then the second game, we played Chad, we realized, no, no, no, we stand a chance here. Beating Togo at home, that’s when the Botswana people realized the team is going far here.”
Support for the national team has been so strong that the local company given the contract for replica jerseys has been unable to meet the demand.
The transformation from ridicule to respect is the story of a homegrown coach and a veteran team.
Stanley Tshosane was an assistant coach with the national team, left to coach the Army team in the domestic league, where he had played, then returned to take the reins when Englishman Colwyn Rowe was sacked in 2008.
The Botswana FA granted the new coach full control and Tshosane imprinted a defensive mindset on the team, selecting players who could mark well and usually deploying four defensive-minded midfielders.
The team has also benefited from being together throughout Tshosane’s tenure and is as locally bred as the coach. Although six of Botswana’s players earn a living in neighboring South Africa, most play semi-pro ball at home, and no one plays off the continent. AFCON 2012 may be the last showcase for many of the team's starters, whose average is 29.
