The hopes of Botswana’s national women’s football team, The Mares, to secure a place in the Women’s Olympic Football Tournament for Paris 2024 have been shattered following a disappointing 3-0 aggregate loss against the Twiga Stars of Tanzania.
Despite a commendable performance in last year’s Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON), their recent defeat has marked an unexpected setback.
However, the Mares want to put aside its losses and focus on securing victory in upcoming tournaments.
In the second leg of the qualifiers at the National Stadium in Gaborone on Tuesday night, the Mares suffered a 1-0 defeat against the Twiga Stars, bringing the overall score to 3-0. This defeat follows their initial loss in the first leg at the Azam Complex Stadium in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania, on October 26, where they conceded 2-0 to their Tanzanian opponents.
After the disappointing result, Mares Head Coach Mohambi Saulos acknowledged the challenges faced by the team.
“I have inherited this team and didn’t have time to work with them,” said Sulosi.
When she joined the team, the selection was already complete. “I had to work with what I found,” Saulosi stated.
However, Saulosi expressed optimism for the future, assuring the public of an improved performance in the upcoming WAFCON qualifiers against Kenya. “If you are a football person, you can see that the team is building its momentum,” she said, but decried time constraints, saying they only have three weeks to prepare for Kenya.
While the recent Olympic qualifiers proved challenging for the Mares, their past accomplishments in the WAFCON buoy the team’s spirits. Notably, they made history by reaching the quarterfinals in their debut appearance at the continental tournament, securing a spot among the last eight following a commendable performance as one of the third-placed teams in the group stages.
With the disappointment of the Olympic qualifiers behind them, the Mares will direct its energies towards securing a spot in the TotalEnergies Women Africa Cup of Nations, with a crucial fixture against Kenya scheduled for November and December 2023.
