AWCON
Super Falcons’ WAFCON opponents, Botswana announce final squad
Botswana who will face Nigeria’s Super Falcons on 7 July in the matchday 2 schedule of Group C at the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations finals in Rabat Morocco have announced their final squad to the tournament.
The coach, Gaoletlhoo Nkutlwisang’ has named her final 24-woman squad as the 2 July kick of date for the tournament approaches.
The team, nicknamed “Mares” will be playing in their first ever continental competition and they have been pitted in Group C with nine-time champions, Nigeria, neighbours South Africa and fellow debutants Burundi.
In the squad, only four players ply their trade outside of Botswana, including South African based goalkeeper, Sedilame Boseja who is not new to continental football.
Boseja is a CAF Women’s Champions League winner with her club, Mamelodi Sundowns. Other foreign based players in the squad include Esalenna Galekhutle and Thuto Ramafifi who are based in the USA where they play in college football for Tyler Junior College and Albany State University. The fourth foreign based, Mokgabo Thanda plays for Yasa Queens in Zambia.
Nkutlwisang also named experienced players in the squad such as Refilwe Tholakele and Masego Montsho. Botswana will hope to be the surprise package in the group especially having defeated Banyana previously and eliminated Zimbabwe from the qualifiers of the competition.
Nkutlwisang’s charges will open their campaign against the Swallows on 4 July at the Stade Moulay Hassan in Rabat.
Full Squad
Goalkeepers: Sedilame Boseja, Lesego Moeng, Merylin John
Defenders: Bonang Otlhagile, Masego Montsho, Kesegofeste Mochawe, Veronicah Mogotsi, Nancy Baeletsi, Laone Moloi, Lone Gaofetoge
Midfielders: Golebaone Selebatso, Mokgabo Thanda, Annah Sechane, Leano Atang Busang, Keitumetse Dithebe, Lesego Radiakanyo, Balotlhanyi Johannes
Strikers: Thuto Ramafiki, Refilwe Tholakele, Esalenna Galekhutle, Michelle Abueng, Nondi Mahlasela, Ontlametse Gainyadiwe
Democratic Republic of Congo side, TP Mazembe are officially the champions of the CAF Women’s Champions League Morocco 2024.
A highly tactical and hard fought 1-0 victory in the final played in El Jadida’s Stade Ben Ahmed El Abdi against former champions and hosts, AS FAR saw the DR Congo side crowned the new champions of Africa for the first time – wiping away tears of their 2022 group stage exit.
With the crowd backing the hosts, Mazembe showed great resilience and courage in taking the match to the former champions who remain in search for what has been an elusive second title for them.
The deciding goal of the fourth edition of the tournament came courtesy of a converted spot kick by Marlene Kasaj in the opening 10 minutes, which Mazembe protected throughout the match to seal the historic victory.
Despite the early concession, AS FAR kept believing and surged forward in search of the leveller, but a resolute Mazembe defense kept the clean sheet throughout the opening half.
Coming back from the break, it was surprisingly Mazembe who looked more dangerous as they came out strong in an attempt to kill off the game.
The hosts eventually found their rhythm but again were met by a disciplined Mazembe defense, who kept the former champions at bay to secure Africa’s most sought-after women’s club football crown.
In addition to the coveted CAF Women’s Champions League trophy, TP Mazembe also take home $600 000 in prize money, while runners-up AS FAR take home $400 000.
-CAF
BY JOSEPH ODOEKWU
The National Chairman of the Nigeria Football Supporters Club (NFSC) Samuel Ikpea has tipped the Super Falcons of Nigeria to claim their 10th African Women’s Cup of Nations title in Morocco when they begin their campaign next year.
Ikpea’ remarks came after the Friday night draw that put Algeria, Tunisia and Botswana in the same group with the Super Falcons.
“Our girls are going to play in a group with two North African countries (Tunisia and Algeria). “It is going to be interesting, and I am optimistic that our girls will scale from our group”.
Nigeria will tackle two North African teams – Tunisia and Algeria – as well as Botswana, in Group B of the 13th Women Africa Cup of Nations finals taking place in Morocco next summer.
The Falcons will surely relish another meeting with Algeria’s Green Ladies, whom they defeated 2-0 and 4-1 respectively in two friendly matches in Nigeria last month.
Botswana eliminated Gabon in the qualifying series and Tunisia were the quarter-finalists at the last edition also hosted by Morocco.
At the draw conducted on Friday evening at the Technical Centre of the Mohamed VI Football Complex in Sale, outside Rabat, host nation Morocco, earlier slotted into Group A, learnt they will have to cope with Zambia, Senegal and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Cup holders South Africa are in Group C and will square up to Ghana, Mali and Tanzania in the three-week, 12-nation final tournament taking place 5th – 26th July 2025.
Hosts Morocco finished as runners-up in the last edition in July 2022, with Zambia taking the bronze after a 1-0 defeat of Nigeria in the third-place match.
GROUP A: Morocco, Zambia, Senegal, DR Congo
GROUP B: Nigeria, Tunisia, Algeria, Botswana
GROUP C: South Africa, Ghana, Mali, Tanzania
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