A well-executed diving header by striker Erina Jeke, a minute after the break, ensured the Mighty Warriors got the much needed win.The Rosemary Mugadza-coached side will now need at least a draw in the corresponding fixture in Harare in a fortnight to go through to the first and final round of the qualifiers where defending champions Nigeria lies in wait.
The Botswana side, backed by a huge crowd who gained free entrance into the stadium, had hoped to emulate their male counterparts who qualified for the Africa Cup of Nations which gets underway in a week’s time in Gabon and Equatorial Guinea.
Beating Zimbabwe was supposed to be the first step in achieving those ambitions but instead, they received a lesson in the standards they must achieve before they can dream of dancing with the continent’s powerhouses like Nigeria, Cameroon and South Africa.
To their credit though, the hosts played the first half with optimism and intent, playing a high tempo approach designed to deny the Mighty Warriors time and space on the ball.
That strategy worked well as they managed to shut the visitors who were only restricted to some pot shots at the hosts’ goalkeeper, Peggy Segokgo.
Mighty Warriors squad: O Chingao, T Mandaza, D Bhobho, P Mujuru, R Mutyavaviri, E Msipa, M Nyaumwe, S Makoto, T Mairosi, E Jeke, R Neshamba.
Botswana 0 Zimbabwe 1
