Staff Reporter
Windhoek-Following a successful training camp in Ghana, Namibia’s U/20 football side, the Young Warriors, are targeting a semi-final spot at this year’s Cosafa U/20 Cup that starts tomorrow in Kitwe, Zambia.
Young Warriors will look to taste regional victory, a feat only previously achieved by the country’s U/17s, the Baby Warriors, and the senior side Brave Warriors.
Young Warriors coach Gerhard Guther’s aim is to reach the semi-finals of the annual championship. The Cup starts tomorrow and runs until December 16.
“We did not have enough time to prepare for the tournament but I feel our minimum objective should be reaching the semi-finals,” a confident Guther said, adding that the trip to Ghana was positive as they took on quality opposition and tried out a lot of combinations that could prove vital at the tournament in Zambia.
“The camp was successful as the opposition was good and that has strengthened our team – and as coaches we analyze players better when they are out of their comfort zones, so going to Ghana was a blessing.”
The team returned home over the weekend and was initially set to leave for Zambia yesterday, but a change in fixtures now means they depart tomorrow as their first Group C match only takes place on Friday, December 8, against Angola.
They will then face Lesotho on December 10 before concluding their group clashes with a tie against Zimbabwe on December 12. All matches will be played at the Davis Arthur Stadium in Kitwe.
Group B consists of last year’s runners-up South Africa, North African guests Egypt, Mozambique and Mauritius.
Group A consists of African champions Zambia, Swaziland, East African guest nation Uganda and Malawi.
The top teams in each pool advance to the semi-finals along with the best-placed runner-up.
Matches will be played at the Arthur Davies and Nkana stadiums in Kitwe. The group stage will be completed on December 12, followed by a rest day, with the semi-finals to be staged at the Arthur Davies Stadium on December 14. The third-place play-off and the final will move to the Levy Mwanawasa Stadium in Ndola on December 16.