Botswana boosts chances of final berth after notching 64 – 31 win against a spirited Canada team.

The opening Match Day 5 contest of the Mission Foods Nations Cup 2016 saw Botswana hand a tournament debut to Goal Shooter Olebogeng Kurirwa (GS).

Spurred on by this opportunity, Kurirwa made an immediate impact on the game as she scored Botswana’s first goal of the match within 30 seconds. This lead was however shortlived as Canada’s Lianna Wong (GA) issued an immediate response as she netted her first attempt to level the score.

Throughout the quarter, the match was in the balance as the teams took turns at goal with Canadian showing remarkable coordination and industry, keeping up with Botswana’s fast quick offensive play. The first quarter closed with a 12 – 10 score in favour of Botswana.

Botswana came out stronger and faster in the second quarter with GS, Hildah Binang taking to the court. This change saw the Batswana score four straight goals to widen their lead. Despite Canada’s stubborn defence, it was a tougher quarter for them as there were few missed attempts from their shooters. The first half ended with Botswana leading 29 – 16.

The atmosphere was more intense during the third quarter as Canada bounced back into action, scoring the first goal. Despite a strong effort Botswana still managed to dominate with their high and fast passing. By the end of the quarter, Botswana led 45 – 23.

Despite leading by 22 points in the last quarter, Botswana showed little respite as they continued their efficient shooting to take the match comfortably. This marked their third win of the tournament, capping a successful 2016 campaign.

Botswana Goal Shooter, Hildah Binang
“We thought that we would just ease through and win against Canada, but they gave us a tough game most especially in the first quarter, and we put ourselves under pressure. Canada has good shooting accuracy and they can actually shoot from afar. We caught up for the rest of the game and our team did very well. I want my team to be in the top 10 for world rankings and we will certainly work on it.”

Canada Goal Shooter, Tracy To

“I think we played really well, there were a lot of ball movement and the team played the way we want to. Everyone was there to help, everyone was encouraging each other so I thought it was a really good game for us. I look forward to playing, working out, and most importantly working together, communicating and having fun with my team in future.”

HIGHLIGHTS
· Nations Cup debutant, Olebogeng Kuriwa (Botswana, GS)
· Top scorer for the game is Botswana’s GS, Hildah Binang, 39 goals out of 41 attempts

MATCH STATISTICS