By Kuvee Kangueehi WINDHOEK National soccer team coach, Ben Bamfuchile, is recovering well from the illness which saw him miss the mach against Malawi last weekend. The Zambian coach did not travel with the team to Malawi due to severe illness but Namibia Football Association (NFA) acting Secretary General Barry Rukoro, believes that Bamfuchile should be fully fit for the Cosafa match against Botswana at the end of the month. Speaking to New Era yesterday, Rukoro said he was optimistic that Bamfuchile would be ready to prepare the team for the crucial game against Botswana who knocked Namibia out of the same competition two years ago. Rukoro said Bamfuchile was recovering at home. He noted that the team for the Cosafa game has been selected and players will be called up at the end of the week. In the absence of Bamfuchile last weekend assistant coaches Ronnie Kanalelo and Brian Isaacs were in charge of the national team against Malawi at that country’s independence anniversary celebrations. In the absence of the head coach the Brave Warriors recorded a rare away victory in Blantyre. A goal from African Stars striker Gerson Katjatenja who was making his debut and Rudolf Bester gave Namibia a 2-1 victory. Although the game was a friendly and part of Malawi’s independence anniversary celebrations it was very competitive. Namibia drew first blood midway in the first half when Katjatenja opened the scoring and gave the visitors a one-goal lead at halftime. However, Malawi regrouped in the second half and put the game into higher gear. With the close 10 000 supporters singing their lungs out, the home team repaid the loyalty of their fans and scored the equalizer in the first minutes of the second half. Namibia however was not intimidated by the goal and was not prepared to throw away their good record against Malawi. Meanwhile, Namibiasport reports that the national women’s football team, the Brave Gladiators, are yet to make their presence felt in the Under 17 Khomas youth development league. This past weekend, which formed part of the third round, the Gladiators were sent packing after losing 3-0 by stream B runners-up Okahandja Park at the Sam Nujoma stadium. The Gladiators are finding the going tough and are yet to record a single win, having lost four and drawn one and remain rooted at the base of the log standings. In other stream B matches Civics I extended their lead to the top of the charts with vital wins against Augeikhas and Orlando Pirates. Civics I are now four points clear with 17 points followed by Okahandja Park with 14 points from seven matches. In third position lies Orlando Pirates with 12 points from six matches. Pirates, who have a game in hand, won by a solitary goal against Windhoek High School before going down to Civics I the following day. In stream A Shipena Stars capitalized on their one game advantage to pip the Collin Benjamin Soccer Academy to second place on the A stream log, which is led by Oshandumala-based S-Bala. Stars (Shipena) defeated bottomed-placed Scorpions by 3-1. Like the Gladiators, Scorpions have also not yet recorded a single win. From a total of five games played Scorpions have lost five games and has only recorded one victory.