South Africa repeat as African Men's Softball Champions, qualify for WBSC Men's Softball World Cup along with Botswana
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<p>The <a href="https://www.wbsc.org/en/organisation/wbsc-events/mens-softball-world-cup">WBSC Men's Softball World Cup</a> added two more qualified teams this past weekend with world No. 16 South Africa and No. 33 Botswana earning their tickets to the Group Stage as the top two African teams. South Africa defeated Botswana, 2-0, in the final of the continental championship and repeated as African Champions. Lesotho finished third.</p>
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<p>Hosted in Mokopane, Waterberg District, Limpopo, the three-team WBSC Men's Softball World Cup African Qualifier started with a double round robin on Thursday and Friday, with the finals being played on Saturday.</p>
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<p><strong>Day 1 Results</strong></p>
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<ul><li>RSA 17 - 0 LES</li><li>BOT 12 - 0 LES</li><li>BOT 4 - 3 RSA (8innings)</li></ul>
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<p><strong>Day 2 Results</strong></p>
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<ul><li>BOT 22 - 0 LES</li><li>RSA 13 - 0 LES</li><li>RSA 4 - 0 BOT</li></ul>
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<p>After the round robin, South Africa and Botswana were tied on top of the standings with a 3-1 record, but the host team clinched the first place because of the tie-breaking rule. This way they earned a spot in the finals, and consequently a ticket to the World Cup.</p>
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<p>On Sunday, Botswana beat Lesotho, 13-0, to clinch a spot in the World Cup and set a rematch against South Africa for the continental title. In the final, South Africa prevailed over Botswana, 2-0, to retain the men's softball African crown.</p>
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<p>South Africa qualified for their 12th WBSC Men's Softball World Cup appearance, which will mark their fourth consecutive participation. The green squad has played in eight of the last nine World Cups; their only absence occurring during the 2015 championship in Saskatoon, Canada, interrupting a streak of five consecutive appearances. Their best performance to date was a seventh-place finish in 1976 in Lower Hutt, New Zealand.</p>
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<p>On the other hand, Botswana has participated in the World Cup eight times, achieving their highest position of eighth place in Whitehorse, Canada, in 2017. From 1992 to 2009, Botswana appeared in five consecutive World Cups. They will return to the global stage after missing out on the 2022 World Cup.</p>
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<p>Lesotho becomes the fifth African nation in the <a rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="WBSC/KONAMI Men's Softball World Ranking (opens in a new tab)" href="https://rankings.wbsc.org/en/list/softball/men" target="_blank">WBSC/KONAMI Men's Softball World Ranking</a>, along with No. 41 Kenya and No. 43 Uganda. They will be back in the ranking in the next update. Their last appearance in the ranking was on December 31, 2022.</p>
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<p>A total of 13 teams out of 18 have been confirmed for the group stage: </p>
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<ul><li><strong>Africa (2) </strong>No. 13 South Africa, No. 33 Botswana</li><li><strong>Americas (5) TBD</strong></li><li><strong>Asia (3)</strong> No. 2 Japan, No. 11 Singapore, No. 14 Philippines</li><li><strong>Europe (2)</strong> No. 5 Czechia, No. 17 Netherlands</li><li><strong>Oceania (2)</strong> No. 1 Australia, No. 8 New Zealand</li><li><strong>Hosts (3)</strong> No. 3 Canada, No. 6 USA, No. 9 Mexico</li><li><strong>Wild Card (1)</strong> No. 24 Hong Kong, China</li></ul>
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<p>The Americas Qualifier is scheduled to be played in Sincelejo, Colombia, between 7 and 14 April.</p>
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