11 Jul 2022

The senior national football teams, Zebras and Mares, will today and tomorrow take part in quarterfinals in Morocco and South Africa respectfully.

The Mares will play hosts, Morocco, at the ongoing Women Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) on Wednesday at 10pm, while the Zebras will take Chipolopolo of Zambia at the Hollywood Bets COSAFA Cup in Durban today at 5pm.

Despite losing 0-1 to Banyana Banyana of South Africa, The Mares qualified as the best third placed team.

The game against Morocco will be a test for Botswana given that The Mares are debutants who marched to the quarterfinals against all odds.

Should the Mares win against Morocco to reach semi-finals, they will automatically qualify for the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup to be played in Australia and New Zealand.

Coach Gaoletlhoo Nkutwisang and her players are  aware of the importance of winning the game. 

She, however, said it was not going to be an easy game.

Nkutwisang said she was happy with the players’ performance against Banyana Banyana, adding there were some positives that they would use against Morocco.

In Durban, Botswana beat Angola 1-0 via a penalty kick that Goitseone Phoko converted.

Against Chipolopolo, the Zebras will have to dig dipper given that their opponents joined the competition at the quarterfinals, therefore still fresh and free from injuries.

Zebras have never won COSAFA Cup and only reached the final in 2019 where they lost to Zambia.

Coach Mogomotsi Mpote said in an interview that he was happy with how the players executed themselves in the three games they played so far.

“The positives about our team is that if we don’t play well first half, second half we come with guns blazing and the players are now accustomed to that tactic,” he said.

Mpote said against Zambia, they would have to fine tune their scoring abilities.

“Some of our strikers are very clumsy, they are not strong enough, but they are learning every day, we need to give our all in the games,” he said.

He said Zambia was a stubborn team, adding the Zebras had a lot of energy and they should be in a position to deal with Chipolopolo decisively. ENDS