Coach sees silver lining after World Cup exit
Mqondisi Dube | Tuesday July 29, 2025 15:26
The Botswana women's team finished third out of eight nations that had gathered in Gaborone over the past week in search of two slots in the next stage of the World Cup qualifiers.
The hosts had started their campaign in the ICC T20 Division Two qualifiers brightly, beating Eswatini and Mozambique.
However, they fell to their first group stage defeat to Sierra Leone on Thursday.
That meant they finished second in their pool. In the semi-finals, Botswana faced favourites and eventual champions, Rwanda, and the hosts' journey came to an end after a 35-run defeat.
In the third place play-off match on Saturday, Botswana beat Malawi by 65 runs, which proved scant consolation after a campaign that had begun with a lot of promise.
'The team played fairly well. It is unfortunate we did not qualify for the next round of the World Cup qualifiers. The ladies tried their level best by coming third out of the eight nations. To me it's a plus,' Timoni told MonitorSport.
'We had a lot of youngsters in the team, who are still learning the basics of the game. It is going to be a phase, but I was impressed with the team.'
He said the team had eight Under-19 players, who are still building their confidence and honing their skills.
'It is sad not to qualify when you are at home. It is sad to disappoint the country and the cricket community, but I feel if we keep this team together, results will come. In life short cuts are dangerous, if we follow procedure and process, we will do well,' he added.
Timoni praised some senior players for their outstanding contributions to the team, which presented a 'lot of positives.'
Rwanda emerged as the winners after defeating Sierra Leone by 51 runs, with both countries progressing to the Africa Division One World Cup qualifiers to be held in Namibia next month.