Young Zebras ready to frustrate junior wasps

BOTSWANA’s U-17 national team arrived in Kigali on Wednesday hoping to hold on to their slender lead and qualify to the next round of the 10th African Youth Championship scheduled for next year in Morocco.The young Zebras won 1-0 in the first leg played last Friday in Molepole and go into the second leg on Saturday full of confidence.Head coach Kagiso Kobedi said yesterday after the team’s training at Ferwafa turf that they are ready for the clash.“The boys are confident. Unlike in the first leg match where we had very little idea about our opponents, we now know what to expect and we came here to get a good result,” he told Times Sport.He added, “For us the job is half-done which means we will play to win or at least get a draw to make sure we progress to the next round. We want to maintain our unbeaten run in this qualifying campaign.” Kobedi confirmed he will not make any changes in the team which played the first leg and that the squad boasts a clean bill of health.Meanwhile, Richard Tardy’s junior wasps, who need two unanswered goals against Young Zebras to advance to the next round, lost 0-1 to Isonga FC in a build-up match on Monday.But the Frenchman is confident about his team’s chances of attaining the needed result at home. “I am confident we will beat Botswana in Kigali. I believe we can score the two goals we need.”While Rwanda is looking to make a second appearance in the African Junior Championship, Botswana is desperate to make their debut in the tournament which also serves as a qualifier for the Fifa U-17 World Cup.The winner over the two-legged qualifier will face the winner between Sudan and Algeria in the final qualifying leg due later this year.Fourteen countries will take part in the 2013 African U-17 Championship, which will be held in Morocco from April 13 - 27.

Sports

Young Zebras ready to frustrate junior wasps