With less than a week before kickoff, the Namibian Football Association (NFA) finds itself racing against time to prepare the national U/17 girls’ team for the 2025 Cosafa U/17 girls’ championship, scheduled to take place in Windhoek from 10 to 17 May.
Despite being the host nation, Namibia’s preparations appear disjointed, as the squad head coach was just announced yesterday, just a few days ahead of the tournament.
The NFA has called up a large pool of 82 players from across the country to attend two-day trials scheduled in Windhoek this weekend.
These trials are intended to narrow down the final squad that will go into camp for the last leg of preparations for the tournament.
This late-stage scramble has triggered concern among parents and observers.
“The NFA is unprepared for this tournament. Calling up players this late doesn’t give them enough time to gel or make an impression,” said the parent of one of the selected players, speaking on condition of anonymity.
Among the 82 players invited, 15 currently feature in the FNB Women Super League, Namibia’s top-flight women’s competition. Several have also gained exposure at regional level, having participated in both the 2024 Cosafa U/17 Girls Championship and the CAF Schools Championship held at Walvis Bay.
Namibia, drawn into Group A alongside Malawi and Comoros, is hoping to turn its fortunes around on home soil. The Baby Gladiators have historically struggled in the tournament, failing to win any of their seven matches across three prior appearances and scoring only two goals.
Last December in Johannesburg, they once again exited at the group stage after heavy losses to Madagascar (5-0), South Africa (5-0), and Malawi (6-1), with Nancy Lebang scoring the only goal.
This year’s format will see the top team in each group advance to the semi-finals, along with the best second-placed side. With Namibia now the seeded team in their group, expectations are higher — though their track record paints a challenging picture.
Namibia’s participation in the Cosafa U/17 tournament has been inconsistent. After missing the inaugural editions in 2019 and 2020, the team made its debut in 2021 at a reduced, three-nation tournament in Maseru, which was affected by pandemic-related travel restrictions. They showed early promise, narrowly losing 2-1 to Botswana with Anna Somses scoring the country’s first goal at the competition.
However, subsequent editions have exposed the gulf in quality between Namibia and regional powerhouses. The team suffered crushing 12-0 defeats to South Africa and Malawi in 2022 and endured similar struggles in the 2024 edition.
This year’s hosting duties mark a significant milestone for the country, making Namibia the fifth nation to host the tournament after Mauritius, South Africa, Lesotho, and Malawi.
-lmupetami@nepc.com.na