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Botswana’s Mares Geared Up for WAFCON Challenge

Botswana’s senior national women’s football team, the Mares, have set their sights on making history at the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) tournament in Morocco. Preparations are progressing smoothly with no injury concerns reported, and the team is brimming with confidence ahead of their opening match. The Mares are drawn in a challenging Group B, alongside continental heavyweights Nigeria, Tunisia, and Algeria. Despite the tough opposition, the team’s technical bench has its eyes firmly set on reaching the semi-finals—a goal that reflects both ambition and belief in the squad’s potential. Team morale is high, with players and staff praising the world-class accommodation and training facilities in Morocco. “The environment is really conducive to focus and performance,” media liaison officer Anastacia Sibanda says. “It’s motivating the girls to give their all.” “We reached the WAFCON not by mistake and we are here to compete not to participate. The players are not bothered by those who say we are underdogs. They are focused on the expedition ahead. They want to reach the semifinals. That is their target.” As part of their final preparations, the Mares played a friendly match designed to assess player readiness and fine-tune tactics. While the result of the friendly remains secondary, the technical team expressed satisfaction with the fitness and determination displayed by the players. At the time of writing, it was not yet confirmed whether a high-profile delegation from Botswana will travel to Morocco to attend the team’s opening game. However, back home, national support for the Mares continues to grow. Hopes are high that this could be the year Botswana makes a deep run in Africa’s most prestigious women’s football tournament. The first match of The Mares is against Algeria on the 6th July, followed by Nigeria on the 10th and last match of the group on the 13th July against Tunisia. Prior to the departure to Morocco, the President of Botswana, Advocate Duma Boko visited the team and offered his support for the team. He encouraged the team to represent the country well and do their best as the nation will be rallying behind them. The team is encouraged not to play under pressure so that they can play to their full potential and excitement their talent fully. The Mares are not just participating—they are here to compete. It is the second time in succession that the Mares qualified for the WAFCON finals. Local football has experience satisfactory growth.

admin July 4, 2025 2 min read

Botswana’s senior national women’s football team, the Mares, have set their sights on making history at the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) tournament in Morocco.

Preparations are progressing smoothly with no injury concerns reported, and the team is brimming with confidence ahead of their opening match. The Mares are drawn in a challenging Group B, alongside continental heavyweights Nigeria, Tunisia, and Algeria. Despite the tough opposition, the team’s technical bench has its eyes firmly set on reaching the semi-finals—a goal that reflects both ambition and belief in the squad’s potential.

Team morale is high, with players and staff praising the world-class accommodation and training facilities in Morocco. “The environment is really conducive to focus and performance,” media liaison officer Anastacia Sibanda says. “It’s motivating the girls to give their all.”

“We reached the WAFCON not by mistake and we are here to compete not to participate. The players are not bothered by those who say we are underdogs. They are focused on the expedition ahead. They want to reach the semifinals. That is their target.”

As part of their final preparations, the Mares played a friendly match designed to assess player readiness and fine-tune tactics. While the result of the friendly remains secondary, the technical team expressed satisfaction with the fitness and determination displayed by the players.

At the time of writing, it was not yet confirmed whether a high-profile delegation from Botswana will travel to Morocco to attend the team’s opening game. However, back home, national support for the Mares continues to grow. Hopes are high that this could be the year Botswana makes a deep run in Africa’s most prestigious women’s football tournament.

The first match of The Mares is against Algeria on the 6^th July, followed by Nigeria on the 10^th and last match of the group on the 13^th July against Tunisia.

Prior to the departure to Morocco, the President of Botswana, Advocate Duma Boko visited the team and offered his support for the team. He encouraged the team to represent the country well and do their best as the nation will be rallying behind them. The team is encouraged not to play under pressure so that they can play to their full potential and excitement their talent fully.

The Mares are not just participating—they are here to compete. It is the second time in succession that the Mares qualified for the WAFCON finals. Local football has experience satisfactory growth.