WAFCON 2025: Botswana Edge Tunisia with Dramatic Late Winner But Face Nervous Wait

Casablanca –Botswana’s Mares pulled off one of the most dramatic finishes at the 2025 TotalEnergies CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON), defeating Tunisia 2-1 in Group B thanks to a 95th-minute winner — but their quarter-final dreams remain in limbo.

Despite the victory at Stade Père Jégo, Botswana finished third in the group, narrowly missing automatic qualification as Nigeria and Algeria played out a 0-0 draw in the other Group B clash. Both those teams advanced, leaving Botswana to hope for a best third-place slot.

⚽ Khanchouch Breaks Tunisia’s Goal Drought

Tunisia, needing a win to stay alive in the tournament, struck first in the 12th minute through Yesmin Khanchouch, who coolly slotted in after capitalizing on a defensive mix-up — the Carthage Eagles’ first goal of the tournament.

That early lead gave Tunisia momentum, but they couldn’t build on it. Botswana began to wrest control of midfield and push forward in numbers.

⚡ Botswana’s Second-Half Comeback

The Mares finally broke through in the 66th minute when Lesego Radiakanyo smashed home a close-range finish after a clever assist from Mokgabo Thanda, leveling the match at 1-1 and shifting the momentum.

As urgency mounted, Refilwe Tholakele tormented Tunisia’s defense with her blistering pace, and Botswana looked the more dangerous side in the dying moments.

Then came the breakthrough.

In the 95th minute, Tholakele broke free again and delivered a wicked cross into the box. Gaonyadiwe Ontlametse met it perfectly, guiding the ball past Soulayma Jebrani to send Botswana’s bench into raptures.

😔 Victory Not Enough… Yet

Though jubilant at full-time, Botswana’s celebrations were tempered by the news from Casablanca, where Nigeria and Algeria’s draw left the Mares stuck in third place on three points.

They now await the results from Group C and D to determine if their tally is enough to qualify as one of the best third-placed teams.

🇹🇳 Tunisia Exit Again

For Tunisia, the result seals another early WAFCON exit. With just one point and no wins, they continue to struggle for relevance in continental women’s football, despite glimpses of promise.

Last Updated on April 7, 2026 by Samuel Kwame Boadu

Samuel Kwame Boadu

Samuel Kwame Boadu is a Ghanaian media entrepreneur and storyteller with a passion for amplifying urban voices and uncovering everyday truths. He is the Editor-in-Chief and Founder of Accra Street Journal, a dynamic digital platform dedicated to capturing the pulse of Ghana’s capital—its people, culture, challenges, business, sports and innovations.

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