WAFCON 2024-25 - Tunisia v Botswana - final round in the group

SUNDAY 13 JULY 2025 Botswana came into this game knowing that they needed to score at least five goals to progress beyond the group stage. As I arrived at the ground, I was greeted with the most beautiful sound.

As if the CAF theme tune for marching out to lineup is not beautiful enough. The pre-warm up ritual of the Botswanans: singing in the dressing room as they prepared to march out for the warm up. Indeed they sang all the way onto the pitch and into the warm up.

This is why I fell in love with women's football 20 years ago: the culture was like nothing that I'd ever experienced in men's or youth football. Or any sport for that matter. I'm glad to say that Euro2022 offered a similar cultural experience despite the increasing professionalisation of the women's game.

Tunisian national anthem...

Of course fans sing at most grounds but here the teammates themselves are singing: to themselves, to the fans, to the game. Those of us fortunate enough to have played international football have sung our national anthems (and the Tunisian one is a fine tune), or won cup finals or a league might have sung that Queen classic post match in the dressing room or on the team bus home. Or at end of season parties. Or as a rugby ritual in the bar after a match. But before the match to warm our spirits - that is pretty special. That is Botswana.

Although critical of the lack of obvious cool down after their first match, I've nevertheless admired the Botswanan team since I first laid eyes on them. Their attitude to the first match reminded me of when I watched Ronaldinho for the first time - the smiles and playfulness. Hitherto I'd only ever recall seeing such behaviour in professional football from the likes of Gazza and McCoist. Such a positive, pleasant and playful approach was essential to my brand of sports coaching: Smiley Soccer which I was establishing during university in 2006.

So, onto the match, the Tunisians would have had a chance of qualifying in third place if they achieved at least a draw today, so unsurprisingly the first half was fairly uneventful, especially after the Tunisians took the lead through Khanchouch on 12 minutes.

After a healthy half-time teamtalk/singsong, the Botswanans built up their momentum in the second half and pulled one back through Woman of the match Lesego Radiakanyo.

Just one more goal and they have a chance to go through in third place. Then out of nowhere: a goal, a celebration, and an offside flag.

Winning goal by Botswana!

Heartbreak. Until two minutes later a quite similar goal went in - without any offside...

By the full-time whistle, the Botswanan blend of skill and spirit had seen them through to a chance of qualification in third place, dependent upon the outcome of matches in Group C the following day.

The slideshow below captures their goal celebration, jubilation upon the whistle and appreciation of their fans, whom also never seemed to stop singing!

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