Trouble follows Mares as COSAFA dream remains elusive
Kabelo Boranabi | Monday March 2, 2026 06:00
The script did not change as the championship dream collapsed in the 2025 edition which is underway in Polokwane, South Africa. It was a campaign overshadowed by unpaid bonuses, a coaching coup, and a squad overhaul.
All these ended in familiar heartbreak as the Mares crashed out in the group stage of the COSAFA Women's Championship, extending a trophy drought that now spans 24 years of international football.
This time, there were no heroic near-misses as the team managed just one point, one goal, and a mountain of failure.
The Mares opened the tournament with a 3-0 defeat to Zambia, played to a 1-1 draw with Eswatini, and lost 1-0 to Zimbabwe to finish bottom of Group B with a minus four goal difference.
For a team that once stood on the brink of glory and came closest by losing the final in 2020, it was a painful regression. Chaos pitched even before kick-off as The Mares arrived in South Africa already in turmoil, and just over 24 hours before their first game.
Head coach, Alex Malete, was abruptly removed after naming his provisional squad and replaced by former mentor Gaolethoo 'Ronaldo' Nkutlwisang, assisted by ex-captain Bonang Mosetha.
The shake-up triggered a mass overhaul, with only 10 players surviving from the original 33-member squad.
Even captain Sedilame Bosija and the entire goalkeeping department were dropped, alongside seasoned campaigners in the team.
Off the field, tensions had already boiled over. The Footballers Union of Botswana backed players in a dispute with the Botswana Football Association (BFA) over outstanding appearance fees, unpaid camp allowances, and welfare concerns.
The team morale seemingly suffered as stability vanished, proving that a winning team cannot be built in the midst of chaos. The team went from contenders to casualties as the exit is the contrast with the past.
In 2020, Botswana reached the final, losing 2-1 to South Africa. It remains their best finish and closest brush with silverware. The team looked rather fragile in the 2025 edition. Since that runners-up finish, the Mares have failed to progress beyond the group stage in five consecutive editions.
The warning signs have been there. The golden generation that carried Botswana to continental relevance is ageing. Renewal has been inconsistent. Planning has lacked continuity. Instead of building forward, the programme has stumbled.
At FIFA ranking 147 and CAF ranking 28, the Mares remain far from the continent’s elite, and the COSAFA Championship, once their most realistic chance at glory, remains elusive.
This is the same team that lost 14-0 in their first international match in 2002 and still rose to become continental finalists on two occasions.
The Mares will watch the 2026 edition of the WAFCON at home, for the first time since their debut. Ahead lies the 2028 Olympic Games qualification that starts in a year, and also the WAFCON qualifiers.