05 Apr 2022

The senior women national football team is on camp in preparation for the 2022 Africa Women Cup of Nations billed for Morocco in July. The team will join 12 other African countries that will be drawn into three groups of four teams. The draw is yet to be conducted. The Mares, who will be competing in the continental showpiece for the first time, have converged at Lekidi as part of the preparations.

Coach Gaolethoo Nkutlwisang said she had called many players for the camp in order to analyse them before trimming the squad.

She, however, said some players did not report for camp for different reasons.

She also said all selected players stood a chance to play for the national team in Morocco if they impress the technical team.

She said the intention was to have international friendly games where they would give all players a run and see which combinations worked better.

Nkutlwisang also said they needed the support of all stakeholders to fully prepare for the continental showpiece.

“We  need funds to hold camps and prepare the team,” she said.

She also said they would have preferred to camp at a high performance centre where the condition of the girls could have been more scientifically monitored.

However, Nkutlwisang stated that all the players were putting more effort into their training, but said their main undoing was the approaching winter season and that some players showed flu-like symptoms.

The team doctor, she said, was monitoring the situation so that it did not spread to the rest of the team. ENDS