Newly appointed head coach of the Namibia national futsal men’s team, Marcos Antunes, announced the 14-men squad yesterday that will be representing the nation at the CAF African Cup of Nations (AFCON) 2026 qualifiers on 23 and 28 January 2026.
Namibia will face Kenya in the first leg of the qualifiers on 23 January at the Dome in Swakopmund, while the second and decisive leg will take place in Nairobi, Kenya, on 28 January.
Antunes, whose appointment was announced last week, brings international experience to the team, having featured at two FIFA Futsal World Cups. He guided Angola to a silver medal at the 2024 CAF Futsal AFCON, underlining his pedigree on the African stage.
His appointment signals Namibia’s ambition to strengthen its futsal programme, build a competitive national team, and make a strong statement in the CAF Futsal AFCON 2026.
Speaking at the press conference yesterday at the Namibia Football Association, Antunes stated that he conducted intensive scouting to select the 14 players and believes those named are in the best condition to defend the Namibian flag.
“I have been working with the assistant coach, and we have made game plans for training. We don’t know a lot about Kenya, besides the fact that the national team was built much earlier,” Antunes said.
The coach said he wants to make a mark in Namibia by letting his work here speak for him.
“Our mission is to fight here in Namibia, win, and go to Nairobi to finish it off. We are prepared, we have had many team sessions and analysed previous games,” said Antunes regarding player and match fitness.
Eighteen teams will take part in the qualifiers, contested over two rounds and determining the seven nations that will join hosts and three-time defending champions Morocco at the finals this April.
