Warriors aim to finish AFCON qualifiers strong

Football
Brian Munango
  • 1 Week Ago 13 November 2024
The Brave Warriors’ hopes of reaching the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations finals in Morocco may have ended, but there’s still plenty to play for in their remaining two Group J qualifiers as head coach Collin Benjamin looks to build for the future.

With the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers still underway and Namibia well-placed in their qualifying group, the upcoming matches provide a crucial opportunity for team development and cohesion.

The Namibians will face Cameroon today in the match set to kick-off at 15:00 at the Orlando Stadium in Soweto, South Africa, followed by their final group match against Kenya in Polokwane on 19 November.

Although Namibia’s AFCON qualification campaign has been disappointing, with four losses out of four, the team remains unbeaten in their World Cup qualifiers, a campaign Benjamin aims to strengthen.

The provisional 28-man squad features some key players who will be instrumental in these final qualifiers. Goalkeepers Loydt Kazapua, Edward Maova and Kamaijanda Ndisiro will be considered for the starting role, while defenders Charles Hambira, Tuli Nashixwa and Riaan Hanamub add defensive experience.

The squad also includes emerging midfield talents like Aprocius Petrus, Godwin Eiseb Moses Shidolo, alongside seasoned player like Deon Hotto. In attack, Namibia will look to forwards Peter Shalulile, Elmo Kambindu, and the returning Willy Stephanus, who has been in fine form domestically, to provide some much-needed strike power.

Reflecting on the AFCON campaign, Benjamin expressed his disappointment, but praised his players’ commitment, given the challenges they’ve faced.

“It has not been the results we wanted, especially after making history by reaching the round of 16 at the last AFCON in Côte d'Ivoire. But we’ll dust ourselves off and keep fighting,” he stated.

Despite the elimination, Benjamin assured fans that the team will put up a strong fight against Cameroon and Kenya, who are both still vying for AFCON qualification.

The coach highlighted the positive impact of recent international exposure for Namibian players. “We’re proud of how many players have been contracted abroad in the past year. We have Aprocius Petrus and Prins Tjiueza playing for Cape Town City in one of Africa’s top leagues, and others like Erastus Kalula and Romeo Kasume furthering their careers outside the continent. This is what we want – to send as many players as possible to play abroad,” he said.

Today’s clash with Cameroon holds special significance, as the Brave Warriors managed a memorable 2-1 victory over the Indomitable Lions at the same venue in their previous AFCON qualifier meeting, with Peter Shalulile among the goal scorers. However, Cameroon edged Namibia 1-0 in their September encounter in Yaoundé.

While out of the running for AFCON 2025, Namibia’s players and coaching staff are determined to end on a high note and gain momentum for the World Cup qualifiers. Their supporters will be hoping for strong performances to signal a brighter future for Namibian football.