News

Botswana and South Africa to contest Region 5 Games final

Dec 14, 2018

Botswana and South Africa will contest the AUSC Region 5 Games Women’s Under-20 competition trophy after they won through to Saturday’s final with two hard-fought victories in the semifinals on Thursday.

Host Botswana will hope to keep the trophy in the country after a tense 1-0 victory over Namibia, much to the delight of the home crowd.

The only goal of the game was scored in the 32ndminute by Esalenna Galekhutle, with Botswana able to keep their opponents at bay for the remainder of the game, though not without a number of alarms.

Home goalkeeper Bame Mokime had to pull off a string of excellent saves in what was a fine performance from her.

Defending champions South Africa sealed their place in the final with what proved a comfortable 2-0 victory over Zimbabwe at the University of Botswana Stadium.

Lelona Daweti scored both goals for the victors, the first late in the opening period and the second with 20 minutes to play.

South Africa played with a pragmatic approach, allowing Zimbabwe to commit themselves forward and then hitting them with quick transition play that was difficult for their opponents to handle.

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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.