08 Aug 2019

Bame Ngenda’s strike on the 42^nd minute ensured that the senior women national football team registers a 1-0 victory against one of the feared Slovakia’s team, Partizán Bardejov during an international friendly game played at NTC Poprad Stadium on August 6.

The team is in Slovakia for a training camp and they were pitted against one of the strongest team from Bardejov City.

According to Botswana’s coach, Gaolethoo Nkutwisang, the game gave her side the much needed game practice given that it was fast and too physical.

She said their opponents had good height, which gave them an added advantage of clearing all the balls and unleashing some good attacks.

As a result, she said she had to resort to playing long balls to deny Partizán Bardejov ball possession. 

The coach said she was happy with the way the team handled the game against ‘a very physical team because they all managed to absolve the pressure as they kept moving forward looking for an early goal’. 

“What I liked about my girls was that they were very confident, and they wanted a win more than our opponents, and they did not give them respect in the field of play,” she said.

Furthermore, Nkutwisang said at the end of it all, Partizán Bardejov was a good side and they had learnt a lot from them despite winning with a slim margin.

That, she said gave them the much needed practice they had been longing for to prepare for the upcoming Olympic Qualifier game.

“To be honest, the game gave us a true reflection of areas that we need to put more effort on.

We played a side that kept the ball more than us and that alone was a good lesson to us. 

But generally I am happy because I had switched the players from their normal position, as I was trying some new combinations,” she said.

Partizán Bardejov coach, Ľubomír ÄŒekan said the tempo of the game was good and he was impressed with how the two teams handled pressure. 

He said Botswana’s defence, which was marshalled by captain Bonang Otlhagile and Masego Montsho denied his side scoring opportunities.

“But, my advice to them is that, as they prepare for the Olympic Qualifiers, they should play with their wings, and maybe work on forwards because those are the two departments that I think needed some correction. 

But, generally I was impressed by Refilwe Tholakelo,” he said. Ends