15 Oct 2026

The Botswana Football Association (BFA) has pledged continued support for the senior women national football team, the Mares through training camps following its exit from the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games qualifiers.

The Mares were eliminated from the qualifiers by Twiga Stars of Tanzania with a 7-0 aggregate scoreline.

In their first leg encounter in Gaborone on October 9, they lost by a solitary goal and suffered a 6-0 defeat in Tanzania on Tuesday.

In an interview, BFA acting chief executive officer, Bathusi Rathari, said the association would continue engaging the team through camps, particularly in the absence of an ongoing women’s league.

He said with no ongoing women’s league to provide regular competitive action, training camps remained an important avenue for keeping players engaged and preparing them for future international assignments.

For her part, the team’s coach Gaolethoo Nkutlwisang acknowledged that the team fell short of expectations.

However, she said the team would regroup and prepare for upcoming competitions.

She also said there was a need to restructure the squad to create more opportunities for younger players, noting that senior players who had served the team for an extended period, should make way for the next generation to prove themselves. ENDS