23 Nov 2023

The senior national women football team, The Mares, will leave for Kenya tomorrow where they will face the east African side in an attempt to have a second appearance at the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) finals.

The game will be played at Nairobi’s Nyayo Stadium on Wednesday, while the return leg will be played on December 5 at the National Stadium in Gaborone.

The Mares, who finished in the WAFCON quarterfinals in the last edition, need to overcome the Harambee Starlets in a two-leg affair to book a place at the next WAFCON finals, which will be hosted by Morocco.

They reached the second round stage after beating Gabon 7-1, while the Harambee Starlets eliminated four time WAFCON finalist, Cameroon.

Both players and the technical team know the importance of winning the two matches, and head coach Basimanebotlhe Malete told BOPA that they had been preparing well for the Harambee Starlets.

He conceded that their opponents were a good side, adding that they managed to watch a video of their match against Cameroon and they would capitalise on the shortcomings they have spotted.

Turning to his charges, he observed that during the COSAFA competition, his team was not strong defensively, something he said had been rectified.

Malete stated that he was aware of the pressure to qualify for the WAFCON for the second time, adding that they had engaged a psychologist who had prepared the players for the game.

He disclosed that they were currently awaiting foreign based players Refilwe Tholakele, Sedilame Bosija and Esalenna Galekhutle to join the team.

The gaffer said Balotlhanyi Johannes had also rejoined the team after she was cleared by the Botswana National Sports Commission’s doctors.

Meanwhile, Harambee Starlets goalkeeper, Lilian Awour – who plies her trade at France Division Two Association Sportive Jeunesse de Soyaux Charente – was quoted by the Kenyan news website, Pulse Sports, saying she believed that Botswana may not be an easy opponent, but she and her teammates did not fear the challenge.

“Botswana is not an easy team, but we don’t fear them as Kenyans. We believe we can beat them. We have trained extensively, gained valuable experience, and all our players are capable,” she said in the website. ENDS