The awards will be staged in two weeks’ time in Gaborone. The Mares were nominated alongside Jwaneng Galaxy who surprised many by qualifying for the CAF Champions League group stages and the men’s 400x400 relay team, which scooped bronze at the 2020 Olympic Games.
The awards criteria will cover performance for the years 2020 and 2021. In 2020, the Mares defied the odds by making it to the COSAFA Cup finals where they lost to host, South Africa. Last year, the team enjoyed a good run in the 2022 Africa Women’s Cup of Nations (AWCON) qualifiers, leading to a first ever qualification to the finals. The finals will be held in Morocco in July. “I am proud of the team. It is a great achievement to be nominated whether we win the award or not. I am, however, hopeful that we will grab it.
It is through God’s will that we have made it this far,” said Nkutlwisang who has been with the team for nearly a decade. “The nomination is dedicated to the players, technical team, supporters and those who have been very supportive of the team over the years. The players have worked long and hard all these years.
They deserve it. It is a great honour to be nominated,” she said. Meanwhile, Nkutlwisang also commented about Francistown United forward Basego Sembowa who recently earned a national team call up and spent a few days in camp with the team as part of preparations for the AWCON finals. Sembowa was previously in the Under-20 structures.
Nkutlwisang stated that the youngster was very impressive but there are a few areas that she needs to improve on. “I think the only major thing she lacked was fitness. We have communicated with her club to help her to improve her fitness. At a national team level, the training is very intense which is why it is vital for players to be fit. She has vast potential,” she said.
Sembowa is the first player from the north to be called to the national team in a long time. The Mares technical team has often been accused of prioritising players from the south but the coach has often countered such suggestions by saying that working as a volunteer means that she cannot traverse the country in search of talent. The other issue that has often been raised by Nkutlwisang is the lack of resources.
