Brave Warriors’ fans have expressed confidence in the team following their 4-0 defeat to South Africa in their second match of the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations in Group E in Ivory Coast.
New Era Sport was at the City of Windhoek parking lot, where the match was screened live to a packed audience. The city’s spokesperson Harold Akwenye expressed disappointment in the team’s performance, saying they lacked finishers.
“I think the team played well, and the results don’t reflect the real match. We put up a great show, and gave them a run for their money. But we failed at converting the chances we got in both halves, which cost us the maximum points,” he added.
Akwenye said he remains confident that the team will bounce back stronger against Mali in their next match.
“I think it’s not yet over. I believe the team will come back strong, and get a win against Mali,” he reasoned.
Another Brave Warriors’ fan, Simao Petrus, said the team played well, but unfortunately, it didn’t go Namibia’s way. He added that Wednesday’s tie against Mali would be a crucial one, and he believes the team can get a draw.
“Mali isn’t a walk in the park, and it’s up to the boys to step up now. They played a good game, but it didn’t go as the coach may have planned it. I am sure the boys will go, regroup, and come back strong. It will be good if we get a draw against them,” he noted.
Shipapo Valentinus, who also watched the match at the parking lot, said the result was bad, and he hopes Namibia will collect a point in their final match.
“I am disappointed. I thought we’d win this match after our great performance in the first match against Tunisia. But football is another ball game; we lost, but we remain confident in the next match,” he continued.
Bafana Bafana took the lead in the 12th minute through a Percy Tau penalty, before Themba Zwane made it two and three in the 25th and 40th minutes, respectively, to see South Africa leading 3-0 at halftime.
In the 75th minute, Thapelo Maseko scored the fourth goal to seal a victory for Bafana. Namibia had their fair share of chances in both halves, but failed to convert any into goals.
As it stands in Group E, Mali leads the pack with four points, followed by South Africa in second position with three points and Namibia sitting third with three points, while Tunisia trails with a single point from the two matches played.
Namibia plays their next and final group match tomorrow, which is expected to be a crucial tie for them. The Warriors would need to grab a win or a draw to increase their chances of going through to the next round.