Mesh Khotha

Mesh Khotha

Botswana now carry the hopes of southern Africa after beating a stubborn Ghana 1-0 to book a place in the final of the Sasol Eight Nations tournament in Potchefstroom yesterday.

The Young Zebras will face another west Africa side, Cameroon, whom with all fairness showed that they were not in South Africa for a holiday. Cameroon thumped Lesotho 2-1 in the second game also yesterday.

Lesotho could have had a healthy lead before half-time had striker Tefo Maipato made good use of his crosses to his teammates in the first half.

To make matters worse, with only four minutes left before interval Lesotho were awarded a penalty after Cameroon goalkeeper Tignyemb Patrick had upended a Lesotho player inside the box.

Maipato sent his shot over the barh. Cameroon opened the scoring through striker Niend Jean-Michael with a beautiful header in the 47th minute. Minutes later Cameroon increased the margin to 2-0 through the evergreen Christian Bekamenga during a goalmouth melee. Lesotho's Lawrence Molengoane scored a consolation goal in the 90th minute.

In the earlier encounter Botswana striker Tebogo Sembowa's fourth minute goal in the first half was enough to see his charges sink Ghana 1-0 in a nail-biting match after he had pounced on a loose ball outside Ghana's penalty box before scoring with a powerful strike.

There was drama in the 66th minute when Zambian referee Wilson Mapamisi sent off Ghana substitute Alex Asamoah for deliberately elbowing Botswana's Mosimanyana Moreetsi. In a fit of anger Asamoah charged at Mapamisi and was joined in the scuffle by goalie Patrick Antwi . He, nevertheless, escaped with a booking. In the 74th minute Botswana's Alphones Modisaotsile was sent off for a second bookable offence.