Botswana’s Netball World Cup dream up in flames
Calistus Kolantsho | Friday September 25, 2026 09:48
Unfortunately, that objective has not materialised after Botswana lost two matches and won one during the recent Africa qualifiers in Nairobi. However, some netball commentators believe the coach cannot be held accountable for the failure and argue that she should have been allowed to conduct her own selection.
BONA president, Mpopi Moatlhodi, told MmegiSport that the results they achieved in Nairobi were not what they wanted.
She said the association accepts the outcome, has learnt from it and will return to work harder.
“Overall, I would describe the campaign as a very important learning experience for Dinaledi and for Botswana netball as a whole,” Moatlhodi added in an interview.
“We went to Nairobi with the ambition of securing a place at the Netball World Cup Sydney 2027, and naturally, we are disappointed that we will not be progressing to Sydney 2027.
“At the same time, we appreciate the opportunity, recognise the value of the exposure and the lessons that this tournament has given us.”
According to the BONA leader, the team showed steady growth and great potential for improvement.
During the competition, Botswana recorded a 59-35 victory against Tanzania, whilst there were periods in other matches where the team demonstrated that it could compete strongly.
Moatlhodi said one of the biggest lessons from the campaign was the importance of regular international exposure.
She said netball ball needs to create more opportunities for international test matches and competitive exposure throughout the year.
Botswana lost their opening match 42-22 to Namibia before the SPAR Proteas hammered in the final nail with a 72-32 thrashing.
Moatlhodi acknowledged the hard work and commitment demonstrated by the players and technical team.
She said the association has a responsibility to create a conducive environment, provide the necessary resources and ensure adequate preparation to enable the players and technical team to perform at their best.
“So, what is next? From here, we will need a comprehensive technical review of the campaign, not simply to look at the results, but to understand why the results are as they are and what needs to change. This is definitely not the end, but a point of reflection.
“We will be back wiser, stronger and better. We also need to ensure that the lessons from Nairobi feed directly into our domestic competitions,” Moatlhodi added.
She said the national team can only become stronger if the standard of domestic netball continues to rise.
Meanwhile, Africa Netball has admitted that, in the future, it will not accommodate countries that have already qualified for the World Cup in the same tournament as the qualifiers.
Africa Netball acting president, Rebekka Goagoses, said the decision to combine the two tournaments was initially taken with the best intentions, in an effort to address the financial challenges faced by many member countries.
Goagoses said they had since realised that the combined format was not practical and had caused confusion.