News

Botswana impress at COSAFA Cup 2018

Jun 11, 2018

Botswana’s brave performance at the 2018 COSAFA Cup, came to end with a 3-0 loss to South Africa in the Plate final. Prior to this, Botswana proved a tough side to beat under coach Major David Bright, having not lost a game in regulation time in five matches at the Cosafa Cup.

Botswana beat Angola, drew with Malawi and cruised past Mauritius 6-0 in the group stage, then lost on penalties against full-strength Zimbabwe, the tournament favourites, in the quarters. Even in their fifth game in eight days, notably tiring in the second half, Botswana beat Swaziland 2-0 in the Plate semis.

Botswana set a new record for the biggest win in Cosafa CUP. Onkabetse Makgantai, of Botswana, was awarded the COSAFA golden boot with his 5 goals. He broke Botswana all-time record (4) set by Jerome Ramatlhakwane in Zambia in 2013. Kabelo Seakanyeng also impressed with 5 goals.

Group Stage:

Botswana 2-1 Angola
Botswana 1-1 Malawi
Botswana 6-0 Mauritius

Quarterfinals

Botswana 1-1 Zimbabwe (1-3)

Plate semi-finals

Botswana 2-0 Swaziland

Plate finals

Botswana 0-3 South Africa

Goals scored: 12
Goals conceded: 6
Clean sheets: 2

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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.