Botswana caretaker coach Mogomotsi Mpote says his side have nothing to fear in their 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualification pool as they prepare to take on Tunisia, Equatorial Guinea and Libya.

The top two teams in each pool advance to the finals in Ivory Coast next year, and Mpote says his side can book their ticket.

“In this group, we must hold our own and structure as a team, we must respect our opponents but not fear them,” Mpote says. “We have two teams that just returned from the 2021 AFCON, we have an idea of who they are or what they are about as a collective and we will prepare for them.

“Libya, like us, were not at AFCON but they are a very good team and they have traditionally been a very difficult customer. Their players play mostly in Europe, which tells you they have quality in their team.

“We will leave no stone unturned; we have a dynamic team at the moment, the boys I called in the last international window are determined.

“As a group we need to work together and for each other. We are not going to make up the numbers, we will impose ourselves.”

Botswana’s only previous appearance at the continental finals was in 2012 when they exited in the group stages. The 2023 qualifiers are scheduled to start in the June FIFA window.