Development

Five-a-side league kicks off

Mar 6, 2019

Botswana Football Association technical department on Saturday 2nd March kick-started a pilot project 5 aside league in Kasane. The league which has 10 teams is aimed at keeping the young players of Under 20 level active where they are unable to have full leagues. The project will touch Lobatse, Gantsi, Tsabong and Letlhakane, with kickoff for the Boteti region set for Saturday 09th March 2019.

The five-a-side leagues in every area will have 10 woman’s teams and boys teams to keep the players active and help in increasing the number of players in these regions. Woman’s desk officer Barobi Ngwako has highlighted that some regions have strangled in having good numbers for the woman’s game and hence why this was a good alternative to help give the woman a playing chance and also keep players active. Ngwako highlighted that she hoped this will create an entrest on the girl child for football. Woman’s 5aside league in Lobatse was launched on Saturday 2nd March 2019 and will also be rolled to the above-mentioned areas.

Technical director Serame Letsoaka says this league will be important in areas that do not have elite youth league and help in identifying talent for the 11 aside games. The leagues will run for this year and later be evaluated to see the impact they have on the growth of players and the game as a whole.

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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.