Young Mares fall short in qualifiers

Lesedi Mkhutshwa | Tuesday February 17, 2026 08:20

They beat Cameroon Under-20 Women’s National Team 1-0 at the Obed Itani Chilume Stadium.

Despite suffering a heavy 5-0 loss in the first leg, the Young Mares showed remarkable resilience and determination in the return fixture.

Young Mares coach, Tapaphiwa Gaebolae, expressed satisfaction with her team's performance despite losing to Cameroon in the first leg.

'We might have not made it in Cameroon, but we knew that we will come back. Despite the loss, we played very well and we came here focused to redeem ourselves,” she said.

She emphasised that containing Cameroon was a significant achievement. The coach also noted that the team's mistakes in the away game contributed to the loss and suggested that an international friendly before the match could have better prepared them.

Gaebolae thanked the Botswana Football Association (BFA) for their support, acknowledging the challenges faced by the school-going players.

'The players are school-going children, some of them still in junior schools, and the association has made an effort to help them during the tournament,” she added.

Cameroon's coach, Hassan Abdoussalami, attributed the 5-0 win to their dominance at home.

'In overall, I think we did a good job, but one can mention that fatigue might have contributed to our loss,' he said.

He cited the team's travel from Maun to Francistown as a factor affecting their performance. Abdoussalami praised Botswana's progress, indicating that they played the team before and there is a clear progression.

The teams:

Botswana: Gosego Mokola, Ivy Mankgatau, Lotang Ebineng, Rose Modume, Mmabatho Serokane, Lebogang Dilelo, Mbapeua Hangara, Hope Lesotlo, Katlo Ditsile, Shirley Tokonyane, Fionah Hetu

Cameroon: Caliste Ngah,Esysabeth Ottoh, Prisca Talla, Joana Likound, Beverly Lontsi, Christiabe Meva, Rachou Assako, Sky Yemdji, Myriam Wamen, Aurore Tsimi, Noelle Chagui

Botswana 1 (Hangara 76th) Cameroon 0