News

Botswana Takes a Year from COSAFA U20

Nov 6, 2017

Botswana Football Association National Executive (NEC) has made a decision to take a gap year from the COSAFA Under 20 championships. NEC’s position is that the Under 20 is at a level where the direction of our football should be taking a shape. However, NEC’s evaluation shows that recent performances do not positively define our direction.

The vision of the NEC is to have an Under 20 Team that competes more than participates. The Technical Department has been tasked with using development structures to groom a team that will compete with a long term goal in mind.

The BFA’s Strategy demands that there should be a long term plan that will see a team that should be able to compete at the 2018 Africa Zone 5 games and in the same year compete in the 2018 COSAFA under 20 championships. We believe that this same team should compete to qualify for the African and World Under 20 Championships in 2019 and ultimately qualify for the 2020 Tokyo Olympic games.

The decision to take a gap year will help create a pool of players and prepare our self to achieve the set milestones in line with our Strategy as well as that of the Botswana National Sports Commission of 2028.

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Development

The Mares Display Heart In Tri Nations Challenge

Botswana’s senior women’s national football team recently concluded their campaign in the prestigious Three Nations Challenge, hosted by South Africa from 28 May to 3 June at the Lucas Moripe Stadium. The series saw spirited competition between Botswana, South Africa, and Zambia, as teams continued their preparations for the upcoming Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) qualifiers.

Despite narrowly missing out on the top prize, Botswana showed immense character and growth throughout the tournament. The Mares kicked off their campaign with a thrilling encounter against the African champions South Africa, narrowly going down 3-2 in a tightly contested match. The team bounced back with a determined performance against Zambia, securing a 1-1 draw and demonstrating resilience and tactical discipline.

Final Tournament Results:

South Africa 3–2 Botswana

Botswana 1–1 Zambia

South Africa 2–0 Zambia

South Africa’s Banyana Banyana were ultimately crowned champions of the series, winning both of their matches to take the top spot. The tournament offered valuable game time and experience for all participating nations, and Botswana’s technical team, led by Head Coach Alex Malete, will take key insights from these fixtures as they refine the squad for the crucial WAFCON fianals.