Staff Reporter
Windhoek – The world-renowned Neymar Jr’s Fives first Namibian activation took place at the University of Namibia’s (Unam) Main and Medical Campus in Windhoek last week.
During the activation, Unam students participated in exciting soccer activities as they registered their teams. Dream Seven, an all-female team, became the first Namibian female side to register for the tournament.
“As the captain of my team and a soccer player myself, we are determined to win Neymar Jr’s Fives. We will try our best to represent Namibia at the finals in Brazil once we have been crowned national champions,” said Julia Nekwaya.
Bank Windhoek’s head of corporate affairs, Hayley Allen, said: “Congratulations to Dream Seven for being the first female side to register for this tournament. As a responsible corporate citizen we are pleased to see the excitement and diversity and encourage more teams to participate in this exciting competition.”
Co-sponsored by Red Bull and Bank Windhoek, the five-a-side soccer tournament offers participants a once in a lifetime experience – the chance to be crowned national champions and go on to participate in the world final, scheduled to take place on Saturday, July 21 at the Instituto Projeto Neymar Jr in Praia Grande, Brazil. More than 60 countries from six continents have started hosting tournament qualifiers. Snickers, the Namibian Broadcasting Corporation (NBC) and Fresh FM are also sponsors of the event.
Neymar Jr’s Fives is the Brazilian soccer star’s signature five-a-side soccer contest, bringing together soccer enthusiasts between the ages of 16 to 25 from all over the world irrespective of gender.
The participating teams are required to compete in the same format for ten minutes of intense action without a goalkeeper. Once a team scores, a player from the opposing side is eliminated from the game.
The Namibia University of Science and Technology (NUST) Main Campus will host the second activation today, May 16. Soccer enthusiasts are encouraged to register and also enjoy fun soccer activities during the activation After registration is closed, the tournament will host qualifiers in Swakopmund, Oshakati and Windhoek on the Saturdays of June 2, 9 and 16. The national final will take place on Saturday, June 30 in Windhoek.
Only one Namibian team is eligible to win the main prize – an all-expenses paid trip to at the world final in Brazil and the potential to play against Neymar Jr’s team. For more information on playing at the world finals, log on to www.neymarjrsfive.com and kick-start your soccer journey filled with adventure.