WAFCON: DRC stir in defeat as Botswana play for ‘national pride’
Both sides go into final group games in Morocco with hope of points despite back-to-back losses
It has not even been a week since the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Botswana began their WAFCON campaigns - the DRC for the first time since 2012 and Botswana for only the second time in their history - and both are already all but out of the running for the knockouts. That’s the brutal nature of tournament play, and though the two sides are disappointed by how short their Moroccan adventure has been, they’ve both shown signs that they could be back in a big way in future.
Botswana - Southern Africa’s next great hope
Defeats of 1-0 to both Algeria and Nigeria reflect well on Botswana’s ability to hold their own but don’t tell the full story of their development and progress. It was only four years ago that the Botswana Football Association launched a women’s football league in partnership with a sponsor, Diamond Trading Company. That was in November 2021, seven months before Botswana made their first appearance at WAFCON, where they reached the quarter-finals. The core of the squad from that event has been retained: 17 of the current 23-player squad in total.
Still, they came into this year’s event as the lowest-ranked team in the competition - 153rd - and that underdog status is reflected in the possession stats. Botswana have not had nearly as much of the ball as they would have liked: 38% against Algeria and just under 32% against Nigeria. They have their goalkeeper Sedilame Boseja, who plays for South African champions Mamelodi Sundowns, to thank for keeping them in both matches. She made six saves against Algeria and two against Nigeria, and Botswana will doubtless wonder what might have been if they had kept the ball for longer and pressed forward with more confidence.
In particular, they would have wanted to feed more balls to their star forward Refilwe Tholakele, who was the leading goalscorer in the 2023 CAF Champions League (also for Sundowns) and netted twice at the 2022 WAFCON. Between then and now Tholakele suffered what could have been a career-defining injury when she broke her leg during a collision with an opposition goalkeeper in the South African league. She was out of action for six months and used the time to reflect on her role as an ambassador for her country and a talisman for the team.
“Recovering from such a serious injury requires patience, dedication and a well-structured rehabilitation plan,” Tholakele exclusively told The Cutback in Morocco. “It was challenging, but with persistence and the right support from my family and team, it was possible to regain strength and mobility. Once that happened, I decided to do some extra training work to improve on decision-making in the final third, hoping that I will help the team.”
Tholakele has played all 180 minutes of Botswana’s campaign so far and had two shots inside the box against Algeria and one, outside the box, against Nigeria. What Botswana often lacked was someone to back her up and, especially against Nigeria, their forward passed into open space without anyone following up. That is something that can be enhanced with experience and confidence, which Tholaleke hopes her team-mates will gain as football in the country grows.
“Women’s football in Botswana has faced challenges in gaining recognition and support due to poor facilities and resources,” she said. “However, we have seen growth and with increasing interest and support, we can get better. For us, and for now, WAFCON is about more than just winning. It is about national pride and representing our country on the continental stage.”
Botswana will fancy their chances of getting points in their final match against Tunisia, who played out a goalless draw with Algeria. If they do, they’ll end a five-match losing streak and send a message back home that they are capable of much more.
Sleeping giants - the DRC
The DRC had a rude awakening on their return to continental football as they had to play the 3pm opener against Senegal in Mohammedia last Sunday and were whiplashed before half-time. They conceded four goals in the first half against a side that have been the biggest surprises at the tournament so far and were thought to be no match for anyone in their group.
But the DRC showed their strength when they took an early lead against Morocco in their second match before eventually losing 4-2.
A word here on Merveille Kanjinga, who scored the opener in the sixth minute. She is 22 years old, won the CAF Champions League with TP Mazembe and now plays at PSG. A symbol of hope in a country desperate for some.
The DRC is a country long-embroiled in conflict, but last month its people were given some respite after a peace deal was signed with neighbouring Rwanda which could have an impact ranging from normality returning to daily life to more opportunity for football. Currently, the DRC men’s team sit atop their 2026 World Cup qualification group, a point ahead of Senegal, and the sense of expectation in the country that the sport, at all levels, can prosper is growing. In Kanjinga that has been magnified.
She was part of the TP Mazembe side that came to Morocco and beat ASFAR 1-0 under a Moroccan coach, Lamia Boumehdi, who was also the first female manager to win the CAF Champions League. Boumehdi is a former Morocco captain and has described to Morocco World News the level of talent in Congo. But she added: “They just need to be well-framed and guided,” which is a common sentiment throughout Africa.
DRC captain and goalkeeper Fideline Ngoy, who was also part of the TP Mazembe side that won the CAF Champions League, echoed those thoughts. “There is great talent and a desire among young girls to play the sport, but there is no decent coaching to develop their talents, no training centres, no fields, and no projects from the federation,” she told DW News.
However, there are signs that the DRC could be a force to be reckoned with. They made Morocco work for their win, equalised after the hosts took a 2-1 lead and were threatening even in the dying moments of the match. None of the statistics from the game flattered them - they had 30% of the possession, picked up two yellow cards and did not force Moroccan goalkeeper Khadija Er-Rmichi into one save - but sometimes the story of the match is not to be found solely in the numbers.
Though many Moroccans were preoccupied with the Club World Cup semi-final between PSG and Real Madrid at the time of this match, there were some intense nerves as they watched their defence under pressure. DRC have the opportunity to test themselves against another of the tournament favourites, Zambia, in their final group match, and the prospect of Kanjinga against Barbra Banda and Racheal Kundananji is too good to miss.
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