Botswana Women
Wikipedia - Botswana women's national football team
The Botswana women's national football team is the women's national football team of Botswana and is controlled by the Botswana Football Association. They qualified for their maiden Africa Women Cup of Nations (AWCON) tournament held in Morocco in July 2022.
Botswana played in the qualification for the 2002 African Championship but lost in their first game. After this, they also took part in the qualification for the 2008 African Championship where they played two matches and lost both to Namibia at the end of 2007. Botswana did not play again until the qualification for the 2010 Championship where they lost both matches, this time against Democratic Republic of the Congo. For these games, Botswana named an entirely U20 national team. They have also played games since they were eliminated from qualification.
History
Botswana played their first match in Harare, Zimbabwe on April 19, 2002, against South Africa in a series of friendlies. They lost 14–0. After this match, they lost 3–0 against Swaziland and 7–1 against Mozambique, where they scored their first goal.
Botswana's first major competition was in the 2008 African Women's Championship where after 5 years, they played an international match, this time against Namibia. Zebras lost both legs by 3–0 and 6–1.
Botswana had played with Zambia on 4 May 2008 and lost 4–2.
With a U20 team, Zebras played 2010 African Women's Championship qualifiers against Congo DR and again lost both legs, this time by 2–0 and 5–2 and did not qualify for either the 2010 African Women's Championship and the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup
A series of friendlies occurred in October 2010, against Zambia on 2 and 23 October. They lost 1–4 and 1–2 respectively; against Tanzania on 25 October and 26 October, lost 2–3 and draw 1–1. In the next year, March 2011, they again played against Namibia and lost 1–0.
In 2011, one of the two friendlies in April and May with South Africa marked their first victory, by 1–0. The other match was lost 4–0. In August, they played against Tanzania on 2 August, losing 3–1; South Africa on August 3, losing 4–0 and against Zambia, also losing, 4–1.
They entered the 2012 African Women's Championship qualifiers and played against Zimbabwe, and were eliminated by an aggregate score of 3–1, due to losing the two legs by 1–0 and 2–1. Last friendlies in 2012 included two losses against South Africa (3–0) and Zimbabwe (5–0).
Before the 2014 African Women's Championship qualifiers, the team played the first 2014 matches, against Swaziland on 7 and 8 January and won for the second and third time, by 3–0 and 3–1. The first leg of the qualifiers for the African Championship started on 14 February with a loss against Zimbabwe 1–0 and the second leg was played on 2 March, with another loss, by 2–1. Botswana were eliminated from the African Championship and the World Cup. On June 7 of the same year, they played against South Africa, losing 4–0.
Comprised of a diverse group of players from various backgrounds, the Botswana Women's team embodies the spirit of unity and perseverance, working together to achieve their goals and make their country proud. With a strong focus on developing young talent and fostering a love for the game, the team is committed to growing the sport of women's soccer in Botswana and inspiring future generations of female athletes.
Whether competing in regional tournaments or on the global stage, the Botswana Women's team consistently showcases their passion for the game and their determination to succeed. With a bright future ahead, this team is poised to continue making waves in the world of women's soccer and representing Botswana with pride and excellence.