News

Verrah set to miss COSAFA

Aug 19, 2018

Botswana woman’s national team’s striker Thuto ‘ Verrah’ Ramafifi is set to miss the 2018 Cosafa senior woman champions scheduled for Port Elizabeth in South Africa on the 12-22 September 2018. Verrah has accepted a scholarship to study and play at Salem University in West Virginia in the United States of America.

The 26-year-old is set to the jet off on Tuesday 21st August 2018 to start her new life and join her team in preparation for preseason and the new academic year. She expressed her delight at the move but deeply disappointed in not representing her country at the Cosafa championship. She highlighted they will be more opportunities in the future.

Ramafifi will be no strangers to flying the blue black and white abroad as she has played in Namibia woman’s league before. Verrah believes her move will open doors for more female footballers in the country as our woman’s football continue to evolve, she also edged the Football Association to speedup formalizing a football strategy that will benefit the talent Botswana has.

Botswana Football Association woman’s desk officer Barobi Ngwako commended Thuto for her achievement and Highlighted that such moves are key towards the growth of the woman’s game locally and go to show that the BFA must do more to elevate woman’s football.

Ngwako said the BFA was extremely proud of Thuto Ramafifi and wished her all the best in the.

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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.