Why a 42-0 score line should worry women’s football

Mqondisi Dube | Tuesday February 3, 2026 06:00

While dominant wins are often framed as proof of excellence, such an extreme score line instead exposes a serious lack of competition within the league. While Gaborone United (GU) cannot be blamed for beating what was put before them, the result highlights weaknesses that threaten the long-term growth, credibility, and attractiveness of the women’s game. Competitive balance is the foundation of any successful football league. When matches consistently end in overwhelming margins, the sport loses its unpredictability and instead becomes predictable and monotonous.

High-scoring games have become the norm rather than the exception with other weekend results showing wide-basketball score like margins.

This pattern suggests that teams are operating at vastly different levels of preparedness and player development. A league where outcomes are predictable before kick-off takes away the usual tension and thrills associated with a football match.

For the winning team, repeated heavy victories offer little developmental value. Players are not challenged tactically when matches resemble training exercises rather than competitive contests.

Over time, this stagnates growth and leaves teams ill-prepared for regional or continental competition, where the standards are significantly higher. Granted GU has made progress in the region, but dominance at home may inflate confidence, but it does not translate into progress if the environment fails to test and refine talent.

The impact on weaker teams is even more damaging. Regular heavy defeats can demoralise players. Instead of inspiring growth, such results reinforce inequality and widen the gap between a handful of strong clubs and the rest of the league.

From a broader perspective, these score lines undermine efforts to professionalise women’s football in Botswana. Fans are less inclined to attend matches or follow a competition where outcomes appear predetermined. This ultimately slows the development of the women’s game.

Rather than celebrating a 42-0 win, stakeholders should treat it as a wake-up call. The focus must shift to strengthening grassroots football and ensuring better distribution of resources, and possibly restructuring the league to promote competitive balance. Measures should be taken to help narrow the gap between teams.

Women’s football in Botswana has enormous potential evidenced by both the Mares and GU’s progress at international level, but growth cannot be built on lopsided score lines.

True progress will be measured not by record-breaking wins, but by closer contests, rising standards across all teams, and a league that challenges every player, every week.