Botswana president gives Mares a hearty WAFCON sendoff

The President mingles with the Mares:

Photo Credit: Botswana Football Association.

Botswana president Duma Boko has given the country’s senior national women’s football team a send-off for the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) finals.

The Botswana leader met the Mares delegation on Monday to wish them well before they head to Morocco for the tournament, which kicks off on July 13.

In his address to the Mares, who lined up on the training ground, Boko encouraged the players to represent the country with pride.

“The best attitude to take into the field of play is to have fun. It is about teamwork and team spirit, and you have displayed all this thus far. You must keep believing, and you must know that the whole country looks up to you. You represent the very best of Botswana on and off the field of play. How you engage with others, with referees, be forceful but respectful and believe in yourself,” he said.

Botswana Football Association says the president did not meet the team at their training ground empty-handed, but “with smiles all around, the President gifted the team brand-new sneakers as a motivational send-off ahead of their big trip tomorrow.”

Companies, including Shield, emulated Boko’s gesture by donating toiletry hampers to the Mares during their send-off ceremony. The team leaves for Morocco on Tuesday.

Botswana was drawn in Group B alongside Algeria, Nigeria, and Tunisia, all giants of the game on the continent.

The Mares open the tournament with a game against Algeria on July 6 at Pere Jégo Stadium, Casablanca, followed by another with Nigeria four days later at Larbi Zaouli Stadium in Casablanca.

The final match of the group will see Botswana taking on Tunisia on July 13 at Père Jégo Stadium, Casablanca.