Cosafa consolation prize for goal-hungry South Africa
Host nation South Africa won the Cosafa Cup southern Africa championship plate competition on Friday by thumping Botswana 3-0 after a one-sided final in northern city Polokwane.
The sideshow to the main event involved the losing quarter-finalists and allowed South Africa to continue displaying improved scoring form having hammered Namibia 4-1 in the plate semi-finals.
Motjeka Madisha temporarily abandoned his defensive duties to nod the home team into the lead against Botswana by sprinting unmarked to connect with a cross after 39 minutes.
Aubrey Modiba doubled the advantage on 78 minutes by tapping in a cross and Lebohang Maboe intercepted a pass, dashed forward and rounded the goalkeeper to score with one minute left.
"Our game plan was to press in the Botswana half, own the ball and finish clinically," said man-of-the-match Maboe, who finished the tournament with three goals.
The 2018 #COSAFACup Plate Winners!
— COSAFA (@COSAFAMEDIA) June 8, 2018
🇿🇦🇿🇦🇿🇦 SOUTH AFRICA 🇿🇦🇿🇦🇿🇦 pic.twitter.com/epFjqrSg4M
In the main competition, a close-range Masoabi Nkoto goal on 10 minutes sufficed to give Lesotho a 1-0 victory over Madagascar in the third place play-off.
It was a significant achievement for Lesotho, who are ranked 147 in the world, the fourth lowest placed of the 14 countries competing in the annual regional championship.
On Saturday, defending champions Zimbabwe seek a record-extending sixth Cosafa Cup title when they tackle 2017 runners-up Zambia.