How Wafcon 2024 will be 'a dream' for underdogs Botswana

Facing a two-legged tie against opponents who had eliminated three-time Wafcon finalists Cameroon, the Mares drew 1-1 in Kenya thanks to Keitumetse Dithebe's strike and a 97th-minute penalty save by goalkeeper and captain Sedilame Bosija.

Dithebe, who struck the country's first ever Wafcon goal from 25 yards as a 19-year-old in 2022, settled a 1-0 second-leg win to signal a return to Morocco, where the previous finals were also held.

"In the dressing room, the pressure was too much," said Dithebe.

A debut to remember
Born in the village of Thamaga, Dithebe would sneak out to play football as a child while her mother, who was concerned about her schooling being affected, was outside the house.

The player overcame a difficult spell playing in France, where she suffered from homesickness, before opening Botswana's Wafcon account in a 4-2 win over Burundi three years ago.

Dithebe was "very nervous" before her finals debut and group stage meetings with nine-time winners Nigeria and eventual champions South Africa, but Botswana advanced as one of the best third-placed teams.

"Some of the players were like my own mothers, the ones I looked up to," she remembers.

"When I put them on the pitch, I felt like, 'Am I going to do this or not?'

"In Botswana, we don't have many players around Europe, so sometimes playing the best is very, very difficult.

"It's like, 'Why am I competing with the best when I'm playing at a lower level?'."

Dithebe credits her older team-mates with her momentous start to the tournament.

"I knew what I have and what I'm capable of. I felt the pressure then and said, 'Why am I afraid to do this?'," she said.

"I scored the goal because they were very, very aggressive - telling me, 'Come on, you can do this'."