Gaolethoo Nkutlwisang is using international game time to test combinations, build confidence and sharpen the Mares before the October 10 Olympic qualifier against Tanzania.
BONGANI MALUNGA
Botswana women’s senior national team coach Gaolethoo Nkutlwisang believes competitive game time could prove crucial to the Mares’ preparations for their upcoming CAF Women’s Olympic Qualifier against Tanzania on October 10.
The Mares stepped up preparations with a 1-1 international friendly draw against Namibia at Lobatse Sports Complex last Saturday, a match Nkutlwisang viewed as an important opportunity to assess combinations and improve the squad’s match sharpness.
Laone Moloi handed Botswana the lead in the first half before Namibia fought back after the break to secure a share of the spoils.
MINUTES MATTER
While victory would have provided a confidence boost, Nkutlwisang said the scoreline was secondary to giving players meaningful minutes against international opposition before the Tanzania assignment.
The coach was particularly encouraged by Botswana’s first-half performance, midfield control and the number of goalscoring opportunities created.
“We played well in the first half. We did show signs of fatigue while the pitch also proved to be a bit heavy but that’s not an excuse. Generally the team’s combinations worked well as we dominated the midfield battle,” Nkutlwisang told the media after the match.
“The amount of chances that we created are positives from this game. This also gave players in our system a chance to show up at this level, we saw them being more relaxed than before.”
CONFIDENCE BUILDING
Beyond experimenting with combinations, Nkutlwisang believes friendly matches are helping less experienced members of the squad adjust to the intensity and demands of international football.
With places in the team potentially still up for grabs ahead of the Olympic qualifier, the Namibia encounter gave players another opportunity to stake their claim while becoming more comfortable in the senior national team environment.
TANZANIA NEXT
The Mares’ ability to create chances and control significant periods of the contest will encourage the technical team, although the second-half fatigue highlighted areas that may require attention before facing Tanzania.
Nkutlwisang maintains that exposure to competitive fixtures is central to ironing out those weaknesses. The friendly forms part of Botswana’s build-up towards what promises to be a crucial encounter with Tanzania next month as the Mares continue their pursuit of a place at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.