The Mares mobilise funds for WAFCON

The Botswana Football Association (BFA) is seeking support from the business community and the people of Botswana to raise over P10 million for the country’s senior women’s football team, known as The Mares.

The team is set to begin preparations for the African Cup of Nations in February, and the funds will be used to support their training and travel expenses, the BFA is hoping to receive the support they need to make it a success.

The fifteenth edition of the Africa Women’s Cup of Nations tournament will be hosted in Morocco in July of this year, with the actual dates yet to be announced. The Mares, representing Botswana, will be joined by Algeria, DR Congo, Ghana, Mali, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa, Tanzania, Tunisia,

and Zambia in the prestigious tournament. Through a press conference earlier this week, the Botswana Football Association called for help from the nation to give the Mares the support and preparation they deserve.

The Mares will begin their training camp in February, with three international training camps scheduled in Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and the USA. The cost of the international training camps is estimated to be P5 127 000.00, while the cost of international friendly games is P3 057 693.00, and the cost of pre-international competition is P1 815 307.00. These are all part of the budget for the Mares’ preparations.

During the launch of the campaign, titled: ‘The Mares 2.0 Campaign,’ the BFA’s Chief Executive Officer, Mfolo Mfolo, announced that they are embarking on preparations for the Mares that will cost them over P10 million. He went on to say that they are asking the community to help by opening doors for them and supporting their ideas. The BFA is committed to giving the Mares all the support they need to succeed.

“On behalf of the BFA, we want to emphasize that we take the preparations of our national teams very seriously. That’s why we’re inviting the entire country to play a role in the Mares’ upcoming camp. The business community, in particular, is being asked to support the team, as the camp will give the coaches an idea of the team’s true state and their needs. We’re all working together for the success of the Mares,” he said.

Masego Busumane, Head of Marketing at the BFA, explained that they have created sponsorship