Mares handed a tricky draw

The draw, which took place on Friday night, slotted The Mares in Group C, which also includes Burundi. The team led by head coach, Gaoletlhoo Nkutlwisang will be making its debut in the continental showpiece after making history in the qualifiers. They will kick-start their campaign against Burundi on July 4 before they take on Nigeria three days later.

They will then wrap up their group matches with an encounter against regional neighbours and rivals, South Africa on July 10. The team has already started preparations for the tournament with friendly encounters against Zambia. Head coach, Nkutlwisang has assembled a team of 30 players for the two friendly matches against Zambia.

They lost 1-0 in the first encounter played on Saturday with the second match scheduled to take place today. Reacting to the draw, Nkutlwisang said despite going into the tournament as underdogs, they will show the world what they are capable of. She also said preparations will be very key for them in the tournament.