18 Feb 2026

A mass protest of players has forced the Botswana senior women’s football team, The Mares, to go into their COSAFA Women’s Championships encounter with  Zambia on Thursday, February 19, with a makeshift squad.

The protest followed a decision by the Botswana Football Association to relieve head coach Alex Malete of his duties last week.

Malete was redeployed three days before the team travelled to South Africa for the tournament. Players protested, arguing that the decision was taken at the eleventh hour and would destabilise the camp.

The squad that Malete had assembled for the tournament was also reshuffled, with some players sent home and replaced by Under-20 players.

This reportedly did not sit well with several senior players, some of whom left camp, leaving mainly players from BDF XI, Jwaneng Galaxy and Double Action. One senior player said they were not surprised that players from the three teams remained.

“Well, for BDF XI we fully understand because of their jobs they cannot strike, but as for Jwaneng Galaxy it is coached by Gaolethoo Nkutlwisang and Double Action is coached by Bonang Mosetha,” said the player.

BFA president Tariq Babitseng said the players’ actions were unfortunate, adding that they should always put their country first.

He explained that Malete had only been relieved of his duties as head coach so that he could focus on player development, stressing that he remains a BFA employee as a development officer.

“Honestly, I don’t understand where people are getting the notion that we have fired the coach, we fired him from where?” Babitseng said.

He said The Mares currently does not have a substantive head coach, noting that the only national side with a permanent coach is the men’s team.

Babitseng stressed that the decision was not made in malice but reflected the association’s confidence in Malete’s ability to develop young players.

“No doubt he is one of the most intelligent coaches in Botswana, with a very sharp eye for reading opponents, and his ability to read the game and make tactical changes is out of this world,” he said.

Asked why some players who had reported for camp were later dropped, Babitseng said the intention was to prioritise youth development.

“Remember, COSAFA is where players are developed. In this edition, even if we lose it is still fine , we are not chasing results, we are looking at the bigger picture of development,” he said.

Babitseng added that the association is not using COSAFA to prepare for any major tournament, as The Mares failed to qualify for the next edition of the Women's Africa Cup of Nations.

Some of the players who left camp include team captain Sedilame Bosija, Refilwe Tholakelo and several Gaborone United players. The team will be led at the COSAFA championship by Gaolethoo Nkutlwisang and Bonang Mosetha. BOPA