WAFCON 2024: Nigeria vs. Botswana Preview

Following a commanding 3-0 victory over Tunisia’s Carthage Eagles in their opening match of the 13th Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, Nigeria’s Super Falcons will aim to maintain their momentum against Botswana in their second Group B match on Thursday, July 10, 2025, at 8pm.

Placed in Group B alongside Tunisia, Botswana, and Algeria, the nine-time champions, led by Coach Justin Madugu, are favourites to top the group and vie for a historic 10th WAFCON title. Meanwhile, Botswana, making only their second WAFCON appearance, having exited the previous edition(debut) in the quarter-final started their campaign with a 1-0 defeat to Algeria and are eager to get back to winning ways against Nigeria.

Botswana’s Head Coach, Basimanebotlhe Malete, expressed his disappointment with his side’s start but promised to play smarter against Nigeria.

“We’re disappointed with the result against Algeria, but we’ve taken key lessons from that performance. We didn’t start well, and at this level, every second counts. We’ve addressed that and will be smarter against Nigeria. We’ve analysed Nigeria’s style from both their game against Tunisia and past friendlies. We know what we’re up against, but we must play with intelligence and purpose. We’ve identified where we went wrong. Now it’s about putting those lessons into action. If we start stronger, we can make life more difficult for our opponents.”

Botswana’s WAFCON Journey

Known as the Mares, Botswana made their Women’s Africa Cup of Nations debut in 2022, reaching the quarterfinals, where they fell 2-1 to hosts Morocco. That year, they secured their first tournament win, a 4-2 victory over Burundi.

Botswana qualified for WAFCON 2024 with a dominant 10-1 aggregate win over Gabon in the first round (4-1 away, 6-0 at home), with six players scoring, including multiple goals from Radiakanyo and Gaonyadiwe Ontlametse. In the second round, they edged Kenya 2-1 on aggregate (1-1 away, 1-0 at home), with Keitumetse Dithebe scoring both goals.

Botswana has yet to keep a clean sheet at WAFCON, with three of their four tournament defeats by a one-goal margin. Their heaviest loss was a 2-0 defeat to Nigeria in 2022. After their 4-2 win over Burundi, they lost 2-0 to Nigeria, 1-0 to South Africa, 2-1 to Morocco, and 1-0 to Cameroon.

What Does Botswana Have in Their Arsenal?

Botswana’s Mares are defensively organised, relying on quick counter-attacks and a possession-based style of play, characterised by short, rapid passes akin to “Shoe Shine & Piano,” reminiscent of Spanish Tiki-taka and Total Football. Primarily composed of domestic players, the team’s greatest strength is its unity. Of the 23 players in Morocco, 17 were part of the 2022 WAFCON squad, with seven starting all five matches that year. “We want to prove it was not a fluke. We are coming back to do better,” said Refilwe Tholakele, a powerful striker and co-top scorer for Botswana in 2022 with two goals.

Four Players Who Could Make an Impact for Botswana.

Sedilame Maitumelo (Captain)

The 27-year-old goalkeeper for South Africa’s Mamelodi Sundowns is a reassuring presence with excellent game-reading skills and impressive reflexes. Her strong footwork and quick distribution make her vital in offensive transitions, while her communication strengthens Botswana’s defensive unit. Despite a serious knee injury, her resilience and leadership make her a role model.

Refilwe Tholakele

Refilwe is a powerful and intelligent forward, and is deadly in front of goal for the Mares. A product of Botswana’s Double Action club, she took a major step in her career by joining South Africa’s Mamelodi Sundowns in 2023. Her impact was immediate: she finished as top scorer at the 2023 CAF Women’s Champions League with five goals and was one of the standout revelations of the tournament. Quick, well-positioned, and strong in one-on-one situations, Tholakele is also known for her relentless pressing and ability to hold up play. Tholakele started playing competitive football in 2007.

At 13 years old, she was called up to a Botswana women’s national under-17 team training camp where head coach Jacqueline Gaobinelwe nicknamed her “Seven” due to Tholakele’s preference for the shirt number and being a Standard Seven student.

Keitumetse Dithebe

A fast-rising attacker for Turkey’s Ankara BB Fomget, the 22-year-old is adept at long-range scoring, favouring her left foot. She has seven goals in 22 appearances for Botswana, including their first-ever WAFCON goal in 2022, a 25-yard strike in a 4-2 win over Burundi. In the 2023 qualifiers, her two goals against Kenya secured Botswana’s 2024 WAFCON berth. She was a joint top scorer with Tholakele in 2022 with two goals.

Kesegofetse Mochawe

A 30-year-old veteran defender, Mochawe brings composure, power in tackles, and relentless defensive work. Her leadership and grit anchor Botswana’s backline.

Head-to-Head

Nigeria and Botswana have met once, in the 2022 WAFCON, where Nigeria won 2-0. Botswana are winless in their last five games: a 1-0 loss to Algeria, a 1-1 draw with Zambia, a 3-2 loss to South Africa, a 0-0 draw, and a 2-0 loss to DR Congo. Nigeria, in contrast, have lost only one of their last five matches, with a 3-0 win over Tunisia, a 3-1 victory against Ghana, a 0-0 draw with Portugal, a 2-0 win over Cameroon, and a 2-1 loss to France.

Ranked 36th in the world, Nigeria have had a better run of games and experience as opposed to Botswana who are ranked 153rd and has struggled for form. On paper, this fixture should be a win for Nigeria but in the game of football anything is possible.

A win for Nigeria will see them solidify their progression to the next round.