Cosafa Cup provides chance to build

Botswana coach Stanley Tshosane

Botswana coach Stanley Tshosane says he is targeting the Cosafa Senior Challenge Cup to build a team for the future.

The draw for the southern African regional tournament was made in Lusaka on Friday evening and has thrown up some intriguing ties.

The Zebras have struggled since their maiden Africa Cup of Nations qualification last year.

But they have a real chance of giving their youngsters international exposure and matches when they participate in this year's Cosafa Cup taking place in Zambia from 6-20 July.

"When I came back from the Africa Cup in Gabon, I had old players in that team. Three quarters of my team are youngsters who I believe haven't had real international exposure, so I believe this will benefit them," Tshosane told BBC Sport.

"It will also give them a morale boost because our intention is to do our best and finish up in the final if possible."

The Zebras are in Group B alongside Kenya, Lesotho and Swaziland while Group A has Namibia, Tanzania, Seychelles and Mauritius.

In the quarter-finals, Zimbabwe will play Malawi, South Africa will meet the winners of Group A with Angola playing Group B winners.

Hosts Zambia will play Mozambique in the quarter-finals.

Yet Tshosane is not afraid of any particular opponent.

"There's no group you can say have an advantage over the other because we have played all these countries before," he said.

"A well prepared team will reach the final or semi-final and that's our intention also."

Chipolopolo coach Herve Renard also welcomed the competition saying his side was determined to go all the way.

"The Cosafa Cup is always very important especially for the exposure of the local players," Renard told BBC Sport.

"When you are a coach, everybody is expecting you to win especially when you are hosting the tournament.

"That means there is only one way - to be the winner of the tournament."