28 Sep 2026

Botswana will celebrate 60th Independence Day with both the senior men and women national football teams taking centre stage to spice up activities planned for the country’s Diamond Jubilee celebrations at the National Stadium tomorrow.

In the first game, the Zebras will go head-to-head with Mambas of Mozambique in a nail-biting encounter at 3pm.

Historically, the Mambas have substantiated as a difficult and hard to beat opponent for the Zebras, making the clash a battle for redemption on home soil.

After the Zebras and Mambas game, the attention will shift to the senior women’s national team, the Mares’ encounter with their regional rivals, Namibia at 6pm.

The history between these two sides heavily favours the visitors, with Namibia having won five of their 11 previous official meetings, while three ended in stalemates.

The Mares will be eager to overturn the statistics and deliver a victory for the celebrating nation.

In an interview, Botswana Football Association (BFA) acting chief executive officer, Bathusi Rathari said they included the women’s national team in the celebrations as it served as a strong demonstration of the association’s commitment to gender sensitivity, while reflecting the inclusive identity of Batswana.

Over the years, Rathari said Botswana had traditionally wrapped up most of its independence celebrations with a football victory.

“As BFA we are confident that the two national teams will give Batswana the independence gift of double victories on the pitch,” he said. ENDS