27 Jan 2020

Botswana under-17 women national football team are through to the next U-17 Women’s World Cup qualifiers round after beating Zimbabwe 2-0 in a preliminary round game played at Barbourfields Stadium in Bulawayo, on January 26. 

In the first leg, played in Gaborone a fortnight ago, Botswana trounced Zimbabwe 5-0 and during the return leg, two goals by Peggy Manewe and Christinah Munyatsi ensured that Botswana increased the aggregate to 7-0 against Zimbabwe.

The results mean Botswana will meet free scoring Morocco, who proceeded after beating Djibouti with an aggregate of 14-0.

The team coach, Tapaphiwa Gaebolae said in an interview after the game that they played against a different and competitive team.

She said despite the fact that their plan was to score an early goal to unsettle their opponents, that did not materialise, so they resorted to maintaining the game and attacking them, but still, they could not find the back of the net in the first stanza.

“We had numerous chances, but Zimbabwe’s defence could not budge, particularly in the first half, hence we only managed to score two goals in the second half, after fully analysing how they played,” she said.

Gaebolae said she was impressed by her team’s ‘no retreat, no surrender’ attitude, as they did not despair when they failed to score in the first half.

The players, she said, were focused the entire game, therefore it was difficult for Zimbabwe to retaliate in their own turf.

On the coming game against Morocco, Gaebolae said their opponents were not a closed book to them because they know their style of play.

“We are cognisant of the fact that they scored an avalanche of goals against Djibouti, scoring seven goals both home and away,” she said.

The players, she said, would remain focused, adding that the Zimbabwe game was now water under the bridge and their concentration was on their next opponents. ENDS