Hilma Nalupe
The Brave Warriors will face São Tomé and Principe on tomorrow in the Fifa World Cup qualifiers of Group H, after suffering a 2-1 defeat to Malawi last Friday at the Obed Itani Chilume Stadium in Francistown, Botswana.
The Warriors were punished for a slow start when Richard Mbulu struck for the Flames inside the opening five minutes. His early goal left Namibia chasing the game and gave Malawi the confidence to dictate the pace in the first half.
Despite the setback, Namibia created out three clear chances before half-time. However, wasteful finishing prevented them from finding of the net. The Warriors’ inability to convert their opportunities once again proved costly after the restart, when Malawi’s experienced striker Gabadinho Mhango doubled his team’s lead midway through the second half.
Just when it seemed Malawi would cruise to victory, Namibia showed resilience. David Ndeunyema, introduced to add energy to the attack in the second half, pulled a goal back for the Brave Warriors, finishing neatly to make it 2–1. His strike reignited hope and spurred Namibia forward in the final stages of the match.
The last minutes saw relentless pressure from Namibia as they chased an equaliser, but their earlier wastefulness prevented that. Malawi’s defence held firm, ensuring they walked away with all three points.
The result leaves Namibia needing to sharpen their finishing and regroup quickly for their upcoming game against São Tomé and Principe tomorrow.
Speaking after the match, coach Collin Benjamin lamented his team’s missed opportunities but praised their overall play. “We really controlled the game, created chances, and played good football from the back through the midfield. At this level, if you don’t take your chances, you get punished. It’s the brutal art of professional soccer,” he said.
The coach added that while mistakes proved costly, Namibia must remain focused ahead of their next qualifier. “We are the Brave Warriors. We’re going to keep on fighting and working. The chances are there, we just need to put the ball in the net.”
Namibia stands a good chance against winless São Tomé, who have been leaking in the goals after conceding 17 goals in just seven games in Group H.