GABORONE, Oct. 10 (Xinhua) -- Botswana national soccer team, the Zebras left Gaborone on Wednesday afternoon for Burkina Faso for their crucial 2019 African Cup of Nations (AFCON) encounter without top marksman Onkabetse Makgantai.
The striker told Xinhua prior to the team's departure that his passport got damaged when it came in contact with some wet garments in his travel bag.
The Botswana Football Association (BFA) later released a statement saying the player could not travel due to passport problems and he will join the squad for the return leg match against Burkina Faso on Oct. 16 in Francistown, the second largest city of Botswana.
The team left in a chartered flight to avoid complicated flight routes in Africa that may sometimes take 2 to 3 days to reach your destination.
The 23-year old striker who plies his trade at Baroka FC in the South African Premier League will be a huge loss to coach Major David Bright who goes to Burkina Faso hunting for his first win in the qualifiers.
The burly striker is the leading goalscorer of the country in the past three years and once turned out for DRC side AS Vita.
The coach would have pinned his hopes on him to get maximum points away.
Botswana currently languish at the bottom of Group I without losses in the two matches played against Mauritania and Angola.
They have to secure points in the back to back ties against Burkina Faso to keep their qualification hope alive. However, the team's key midfielder Lebogang Ditsele had also been dropped from the team earlier in the week for misconduct.
Coach Bright would rely on veteran Joel Mogorosi. Enditem
