Bafana Bafana comfortably claimed a 3-0 victory over Botswana to clinch the Cosafa Cup Plate trophy on Friday, writes DYLAN APPOLIS.

The game got off to a slow start with both nations trying to find their rhythm in the opening exchanges of the match.

The hosts nearly broke the deadlock in the 18th minute when Ryan Moon played Siphesihle Ndlovu through on goal, but the midfielder fired his effort wide of the target.

Lebohang Maboe almost handed his side the lead on the half-hour mark when he unleashed a strike from outside the box, but his effort took a deflection before sailing over the target.

Bafana eventually took the lead close to the break when Motjeka Madisha’s header found the back of the net after latching on to a cross from Aubrey Modiba.

The visitors came out with intent in the second half after Sipho Sakane guided his header across the face of goal.

Botswana grew into the game as the match went on and were limiting Bafana to taking shots from distance.

Bafana doubled their lead from a counter-attack when Ndlovu broke through the Botswana defence before setting up Modiba, who found the net to make it 2-0.

Maboe extended Bafana’s lead even further a minute before the full-time whistle after slotting the ball into the back of the net, 3-0.

Bafana held on to their three-goal lead over Botswana to claim the Cosafa Cup Plate.