Botswana head coach, Alex Malete, has expressed his determination to see his side secure a crucial win over Nigeria’s Super Falcons in their Group B showdown at the 2024 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations.
The match is scheduled for Thursday (today) at the Larbi Zaouli Stadium in Casablanca.
The Mares are in a must-win situation following their opening-day defeat to Algeria at the ongoing tournament.
A second consecutive loss will seal their exit in the group stage, repeating the fate they suffered during their debut appearance at WAFCON 2022, also held in Morocco.
Meanwhile, Nigeria head into the contest high on confidence after a commanding 3-0 win over Tunisia in their first match. The nine-time African champions remain strong favorites to top the group.
Despite the daunting task, Malete remains hopeful his side can rise to the challenge.
“Tomorrow’s (today) game against Nigeria is an opportunity for us. An opportunity that we cannot afford not to take,” Malete said at a pre-match press conference in Casablanca.
“We didn’t start the tournament very well. We believe that tomorrow we have to play every moment, every second, from the first minute to the last minute. Something that we didn’t do well against Algeria.”
A Brief History
Nigeria and Botswana’s only previous WAFCON meeting came in the 2022 edition, also hosted in Morocco.
The Super Falcons recovered from a loss to South Africa in their opener to beat Botswana 2-0.
Forward Ifeoma Onumonu gave Nigeria the lead with a composed finish in the first half, while Christy Ucheibe added the second after the break with a powerful header.
Super Falcons on a Mission
Super Falcons head coach Justin Madugu reaffirmed his side’s ambition to win a record-extending 10th WAFCON title. He insists the team remains focused on its target, dubbed “Mission X.”
“As I said before the commencement of the tournament, we remain focused on our Mission X and we believe that victory over Botswana is a huge possibility,” Madugu told thenff.com.
“We are taking it one match at a time without taking any team for granted.”
Kick-off is set for 8pm Nigeria time.
