01 Sep 2022

Battle lines have been drawn as the senior women’s national football team, The Mares, face the Scorchers of Malawi in the HollywoodBets Championships in South Africa today at 3:30 pm.

A win for The Mares in the first fixture will be a morale booster, although they will be facing a tough side composed of tried and tested players such as Fatsireni Kazembee, Thandi Bilima and Gatherine Gaudi.

The Mares coach, Gaoletlhoo Nkutwisang, said they were aware that Malawi, who finished second in the last edition of the competition, had called their experienced players.

She said their opponents would equally face a youthful team whose would be also hungry to cement their position in the senior national team.

The coach said the team was free from injuries.

Malawi, she said, was a strong side, but Botswana players would fight to the end to win the encounter, adding the first game was a must win as that would give them confidence to proceed to the next round.

She, however, said she had told her players to enjoy the game as they were a youthful side, adding that the association had told them they were not looking for results, but that they should perform well.

Nkutwisang said the plan was to take every game as it came and that the objective was to perform well.

“It is not going to be an easy game, but we are working to concentrate on the defence. Malawi has fielded the same players who were competing in the last edition,” she said.

All eyes will be on captain Lesego ‘Shudy’ Radiakanyo and Keitumetse ‘Ben 10’ Dithebe who were a marvel to watch during the African Women Cup of Nations in Morocco.

Other players to watch in the game are Ontlamentse Gaonyadiwe and Mitchell Abueng.

Nancy Baeletsi, Theo George and Goitseone Tlamma, if given the nod by the coach, will have to deal with the Malawian twins Tabitha and Temwa Chawinga who are capable of being a ‘nuisance’ to any defence. ENDS