Shooooooooooooes!

Last Saturday we went to the under-23 soccer team's game against Guinea at the Botswana National Stadium. The Young Zebras or Dream Team, as they are both called, are trying to qualify for the '08 Beijing Olympics. The Young Zebras have a plethora of talented strikers, especially considering that a few have already been tapped for the senior team, and have a big following.

The game was expected to be well fought on both sides. The Zebras were in big need of a win. And Guinea is known for its dirty play. From the beginning it was easy to see the Zebras get rattle by some missed fouls (e.g., grabbing a guy by the jersey and swinging him to the ground). They fell behind 0-1 in the first half. In the second the Zebras rallied back to tie up the score. Just when it looked like the game was headed to a disasterous 1-1 tie (the Zebras desperately need victory points after dropping a few games, not tie points), Goboyeone Selefa kicked in his second game of the game with less than a minute left in stoppage time. The fans went crazy calling out his nickname, "Shoes!" Then once the final whistle blew everyone ran, literally, out of the stadium screaming, "Shooooooooes!" Why they felt the need to run, I don't know. But high fives and celebratory hugs were abound.

For the former Trapper fans out there, the Botswana National Stadium is like more rustic version of Derks Field, but without the mountain views.

The next game for the Young Zebras is against Morocco in mid-November. A win against Morocco (and some other loses/ties) could ensure the Zebras advance.