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Initially, there was an Olympic champion, who put Botswana on the global sports map by claiming the top medal in the sprint event at the international games. Currently, comes Gaborone United Ladies, who achieved status as the nation's football team to secure a prestigious cup and are set to make history by appearing in the African club championship soon.

Historic Success

The team claimed the southern African title after defeating opponents from Zambia Zesco Ndola Girls in a shootout following a tight draw in the recent tournament. Their success guarantees they will represent the region at the eight-team CAF Champions League tournament.

“It’s a massive achievement for the whole Botswana. This marks our maiden major cup. Not a single team, whether at youth or senior level, succeeded to bring a cup back,” said the team's coach.

Rapid Ascent

Gaborone United are reigning Botswana Women’s Championship winners, and their rise has been impressive. Elevated to the premier tier in the previous year, they placed as runners-up that season, secured the championship in 2024, and then pushed themselves to both win again but improve their own statistics in 2025.

“In the prior season we had one draw in the league and our goal statistics were could be better,” Monene notes. “This time, we planned and said, let’s see how we can enhance the statistics. After the end of the season, we discovered that we exceeded all the records.”

Dominant Campaign

They won each of their fixtures in the current league and scored sixty-one goals, noticeably more than runners-up Double Action (35) and conceded only 3. They carried that attacking form into the CAF Champions League qualifiers, scoring eleven times in the group stage matches and four in the knockouts.

The team's offensive efforts were spearheaded by forward Gaonyadiwe Ontlametse, who netted 7 times in four matches, including five against the team from Kick4Life. “She’s a talent whose capabilities are very, very good so she can score from head to toe,” Monene added. “She has speed, possesses aggression and is a excellent finisher.”

Future Challenges

Monene cautions, however such prowess may fall short when the team gets to the Champions League and meets more challenging opposition. Currently, five of the 8 teams in the tournament have been announced, including title holders TP Mazembe, the winners from Morocco, and two teams from the Union of North African football.

“An area she should work on is that Ontlametse is a player that doesn’t want to play in defense,” Monene stated. “At times when we meet a team where we are required to defend more, she might struggle.”

Player Response

The striker responded that while it’s true she prefers to play when going for goal, she is ready to make necessary adjustments where required: “I enjoy attacking football but I also realize that at the elite competition you must adjust. In the Champions League, games are calculated, and if that means sacrificing a bit of my offensive role for the good of the team, I am prepared.”

Unbeaten Record

Based on the record is anything to go by, the other members of the United Ladies squad seem to feel the same way. They are without a loss in more than 12 months, and the last time they were defeated a match was at the previous CAF Champions League Cosafa qualifiers when they fell on penalties against the opponents in the final.

“It was just so near then,” Monene stated. “That could have been so painful to get to another final and lose, especially as it was my third consecutive in a row.”

Managerial History

He calls himself “a coach that is very determined, who’s very dynamic and who’s eager to work with players” and boasts the history to show for it. In addition to his role at United Ladies, he also manages the Future Stars Academy, which trains young men between the ages of 9 and twenty and has produced more than 30 players to the Botswana men’s Premier League.

Team Support

Monene also has the support of the framework in the country’s football to help. Though the league as a whole is not professional, Gaborone United, owned by entrepreneur and professional Nicholas Zakhem, have both men’s and women’s team and are stepping up.

“We have moved away from a purely amateur setup to one that offers regular player salaries and incentives,” commented a team official. “Currently not yet at the level of the African biggest clubs but we are focused on scaling up gradually each year.”

Botswana Soccer Progress

The club hope others in the country will follow suit as Botswana continues to put itself on the global soccer map. With a population of over 2.5 million, Botswana is ranked 44th out of fifty-four countries on the continent in terms of population but it punches well above its weight.

Botswana's women’s side have participated in the last two Afcons and made it to the quarter-finals on their first appearance in that year, while their men’s team will appear at the Cup of Nations for the first occasion since 2012 now. Additionally, they also have a local squad in the CAF Champions League.