Eswatini vs Botswana Prediction and Betting Tips

Eswatini face off with Botswana at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in the COSAFA Cup on Wednesday (June 26). Like in the previous edition, both teams are housed in Group A alongside hosts South Africa and Mozambique.

Both teams are set to open the 23rd edition of COSAFA Cup, with each in search of their first title in the annual tournament. Eswatini enter the competition on the back of successive defeats. They lost to Angola (1-0) and Mauritius (2-0) in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, away from home.

Sihlangu Semnikati lost to Botswana 1-0 in Group A of the 2023 COSAFA Cup. Both teams eventually failed to progress beyond the group stage. Eswatini are hoping for a bright start and claim an early momentum ahead of their next game against Mozambique before they face South Africa.

Meanwhile,Botswana beat Somalia 3-1 in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers to return to winning ways after a four-game winless streak. They will hope to translate that momentum in the COSAFA Cup. However, they need to claim maximum points in their opener ahead of the tricky clash with hosts South Africa.

Dipitse will aim for a qualification to the knockouts before thinking of moving further. They will be counting on their superior head-to-head stat against Eswatini, who have won only once in 14 clashes. Botswana boast eight wins.

Eswatini vs Botswana Head-to-Head and Key Numbers

Eswatini have drawn twice and lost thrice in their last five games with Botswana across competitions.
Eswatini have reached the COSAFA Cup semifinals thrice and finished in third place twice.
Eswatini have participated 21 times in the COSAFA Cup.
Botswana have been COSAFA Cup runners-up twice, in 2016 and 2019.
Eswatini have won once, drawn once and lost thrice in their last five games, while Botswana have won once, drawn thrice and lost once in the same period.
Form Guide: Eswatini: L-L-D-W-L, Botswana: W-L-D-D-D

Eswatini vs Botswana Prediction

Eswatini’s experienced striker Sabelo Ndzinisa, 32, will be a key asset for the team. He has scored twice this year in international assignments.

Meanwhile, Botswana star Kabelo Seakanyeng has been impressive for his team recently, scoring most of their goals. He's expected to play a crucial role in the tournament. Botswana are expected to win, based on their superior form.

Prediction: Eswatini 1-2 Botswana

Eswatini vs Botswana Betting Tips

Tip 1: Result – Botswana

Tip 2: Game to have over 2.5 goals – Yes

Tip 3: Botswana to score first – Yes

Tip 4: Eswatini to score - Yes

About the author

Kingsley is a seasoned European and international football journalist at Sportskeeda who covers match previews. He holds a Bachelor’s degree. in Communication and has a mammoth 29 years of experience in the field, with his work being featured in the BBC, Al Jazeera, GOAL, Supersports, and more. He has also done the on-site coverage of six different editions of the Africa Cup of Nations and the FIFA World Cup once in 2006.

Kingsley’s interest in the game blossomed playing street football at nine years old, and ultimately went on to play football professionally as a defender. His favorite football team is Barcelona as he simply adores their ‘Tiki-Taka’ style of play, and their incredible 6-1 comeback win against PSG in the 2016-17 Champions League Round of 16 is his most memorable football match till date. His all-time favorite player is Lionel Messi and admires the style of play of Pep Guardiola’s teams.

Kingsley places a high emphasis on original content. Outside of European football, he also likes following the MLS, Liga MX, and the Brazilian Serie A. In his free time, Kingsley likes to listen to music and explore the world of photography.

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