CDM 2026 (Q): Botswana crushes Somalia

Botswana signed its second victory in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, after its precious success against Somalia (3-1) this Monday, during the 4th day.

Botswana took a new step this Monday in its race to qualify for the 2026 World Cup. The Zebras defeated Somalia this afternoon. Against the Océan Stars in a match counting for the fourth day of the qualifiers, the Botswanans won with a score of 3-1.

Summary of the meeting

The impressive pressure exerted at the start of the game by the Zebras bore fruit very early on. From the 10th minute, Alford Vilaphi, one of the Botswana coach's strong choices, allowed Sesinyi Thabang to open the scoring. Despite a few attempts by the locals to respond after a quarter of an hour of play, none were successful, and it was with this score of 0-1 that the two teams were sent to the locker room.

After the restart, the Zebras continued their momentum. Although the Somalis offered some resistance, the game became rough, earning Olebogeng a warning. In the 53rd minute, Thabang Sesinyi turned into the decisive assist for Mosha Gaolaolwe, making the score 0-2. In seeking to score, the Somalis left gaps in their defense. In a situation in the penalty area, the visitors obtained a penalty, converted by Kabelo Mohamed Awad. The Somalis, however, took advantage of the visitors' euphoria to reduce the score thanks to Sakariya Hassan in the 74th minute.

Botswana Relaunches

Thanks to this victory, the Zebras now have 6 points and are ranked fourth in group G. Botswana is relaunching with two victories and two defeats in four matches. On the other hand, Somalia remains in last place in the group with 0 points, having recorded no victory since the start of this campaign. Learning continues for Rachid Lousteque's team, who will have to learn from this defeat to hope for better in future matches.