Botswana will host Mauritania in their penultimate 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier at Francistown Stadium on Friday.
The Zebras will head into this clash knowing that a victory could help them secure their second appearance at the AFCON, while the visitors need a win to stay in contention for a place at the tournament.
Match preview
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Botswana completed the double over Cape Verde last month, first picking up a 2-0 victory at the Estadio Nacional de Cabo Verde before edging the reverse leg 1-0 on home soil a couple of days later.
Those wins put Didier Gomes Da Rosa's men in second place and left them in pole position to secure the second AFCON ticket in Group C, despite losing to Mauritania and Egypt in their first two games of the 2025 AFCON qualifiers.
Botswana, who rose by seven places to 140th in the latest FIFA World Rankings, will now look to potentially secure a second appearance at Africa's biggest international competition after losing all matches in their only previous appearance in 2012.
To clinch the ticket before the final group game away at Egypt, the Zebras must secure a win over Mauritania on Friday, while hoping that group leaders Egypt, who have already secured their spot at the 2025 AFCON, avoid defeat away at Cape Verde.
However, Botswana have lost four of their previous five fixtures against Friday's opposition, including the last three, the most recent of which was a 1-0 loss in the reverse fixture back in September – though their only win came in one of the two times they played as hosts.
Mauritania got their qualifying campaign off to a positive start with the win over Botswana in September, but things have since gone downhill, with losses in the following three matches.
A 2-0 defeat against Cape Verde preceded back-to-back 2-0 and 1-0 losses to Egypt in the double header last month, leaving the Lions of Chinguetti bottom of the group due to their inferior goal difference despite being tied on three points with Cape Verde.
Mauritania have made it to the last three editions of the AFCON, but manager Amir Abdou must now rally his troops to pick up a win away at Botswana to keep alive their dreams of being at the tournament in Morocco next year.
However, the Lions of Chinguetti have lost 11, drawn three and won just two of their last 16 matches, scoring in just four of those fixtures, while they last won on the road in June 2023 against Central African Republic.
Team News
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Botswana have scored just two goals in the four qualifying matches, the first by Tumisang Orebonye and the second by Thabang Sesinyi, both of whom they will now be hoping to turn up on Friday.
The quartet of Mothusi Johnson, Thatayaone Ditlhokwe, Mosha Gaolaolwe and Alford Velaphi are expected to form the back four, with Goitseone Phokoe between the sticks.
AEK Athens' winger Aboubakary Koita and former Fulham striker Aboubakar Kamara headline the squad for Mauritania in November's qualifiers.
Sidi Bouna Amar scored the decisive goal the last time both sides met, and he will be hoping to make the difference for the visitors once again.
Botswana possible starting lineup:
Phoko; Johnson, Ditlhokwe, Gaolaolwe, Velaphi; Boy, Ramotse, Mohutsiwa, Seakanyeng; Orebonye, Baruti
Mauritania possible starting lineup:
Niasse; Diaw, L. Ba, Houeibib, Keita; Ngom; Amar, Ngom, Fofana, Moushine, Koita; Sy
We say: Botswana 1-1 Mauritania
Both Mauritania and Botswana have struggled to find the net, which is why we are expecting a nervy and cagey affair, but we think that the home side will come out on top at the end of the 90 minutes due to the visitors' poor form on the road.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
