Sweden boss defends Arsenal striker Viktor Gyokeres against 'ignorant' critics
Sweden manager Jon Dahl Tomasson has hit back at those who have been critical of Arsenal striker Viktor Gyokeres' recent form.
Facing a two-legged tie against opponents who had eliminated three-time Wafcon finalists Cameroon, the Mares drew 1-1 in Kenya thanks to Keitumetse Dithebe's strike and a 97th-minute penalty save by goalkeeper and captain Sedilame Bosija.
Dithebe, who struck the country's first ever Wafcon goal from 25 yards as a 19-year-old in 2022, settled a 1-0 second-leg win to signal a return to Morocco, where the previous finals were also held.
"In the dressing room, the pressure was too much," said Dithebe.
A debut to remember
Born in the village of Thamaga, Dithebe would sneak out to play football as a child while her mother, who was concerned about her schooling being affected, was outside the house.
The player overcame a difficult spell playing in France, where she suffered from homesickness, before opening Botswana's Wafcon account in a 4-2 win over Burundi three years ago.
Dithebe was "very nervous" before her finals debut and group stage meetings with nine-time winners Nigeria and eventual champions South Africa, but Botswana advanced as one of the best third-placed teams.
"Some of the players were like my own mothers, the ones I looked up to," she remembers.
"When I put them on the pitch, I felt like, 'Am I going to do this or not?'
"In Botswana, we don't have many players around Europe, so sometimes playing the best is very, very difficult.
"It's like, 'Why am I competing with the best when I'm playing at a lower level?'."
Dithebe credits her older team-mates with her momentous start to the tournament.
"I knew what I have and what I'm capable of. I felt the pressure then and said, 'Why am I afraid to do this?'," she said.
"I scored the goal because they were very, very aggressive - telling me, 'Come on, you can do this'."
