22 Feb 2022

It will be a duel to behold when The Mares of Botswana kick hard to defend their territory while The Mighty Warriors of Zimbabwe will go all out to defy Setswana adage ‘noga ga e latelelwe mosimeng’.

Stakes will be too high for both teams when they come face to face in Francistown today to seek qualification for the Africa Women Cup of Nations (AWCON).

The winner will be assured of a ticket to the football showpiece slated for Morocco.

The Mares have one hoof in Morocco, having beaten Zimbabwe 3-1 in the first leg; courtesy of Lesego Radiakanyo’s brace and Esalenna Galekutlhe goal. However, for them to board a flight to Morocco, The

Mares will have to be resolute to disarm the Mighty Warriors.

On one hand, the Warriors are expected to fight like a wounded buffalo and revenge will be top of their agenda.

Yarona FM sport presenter, Fox Phatshimo, said in an interview that Botswana would have to  be disciplined, cautious and professional.

“Disciplined meaning the players stick to the game plan by coach Gaoletlhoo Nkutlwisang and respect her tactics. No player should derail from the agreed plan. It’s easy to get carried away when the crowd is rallying behind you, but that must be avoided at all costs,” he said.

Furthermore, Phatsimo said everything must be done with the end result in mind, which is qualifying for the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations,for the first time.

He said the team must also respect their opponents, despite the 3-1 lead, urging The Mares to avoid conceding.

He said their primary objective should be to deny the opponents a sniff at goal because scoring would lift the visitors’ confidence and make things awkward for Botswana.

Phatsimo said The Mares must defend with all their might because a goalless draw would be enough to take them through.

He added, ‘we have enough talent to score at least two goals, but we have to be professional and manage our excitement’.

“Winning the first leg away was a big deal. The fans, the players and the technical team are all excited. We need to manage these feelings and know that one wrong move and things could change,” he stressed.

He said a comeback was a possibility for Zimbabwe, especially if the Mares were not organised.

“This game will not only test their skills, but their mental strength as well, so they need to concentrate until the last whistle,” Phatsimo said.
Sunday Standard sports editor, Botlhale Koothopile, said from the previous match, The Mares seemed more athletic than their Zimbabwean counterparts, which was perhaps the reason why they had a better second half.

For the second leg, he said, The Mares must have the same approach of wearing their opponents off, ‘then when they show tiredness and use their superior match fitness to kill off the game’. Ends