Former Brave Gladiators head coach Mamie Kasaona has expressed great confidence that the country’s senior women’s team has what it takes to put South Africa’s Banyana Banyana to the sword when they lock horns in today’s Cosafa Cup semi-final clash.
The match is set for the Wolfson Stadium in Nelson Mandela Bay, Port Elizabeth at 15h30. Zambia and Tanzania will confront each other in the first semi-finals at the same stadium at 12h00.
Speaking to New Era Sport yesterday, Kasaona said she has no doubt that the Gladiators will give the South Africans a good run for their money and also possibly walk away with a win, but said a few things will first have to be taken care of.
Kasaona, a former Gladiator herself and a teacher by profession, advised that Namibia will have to stick to their game plan and make sure they avoid unwanted errors as a team of Banyana Banyana’s calibre can easily punish you.
“The Gladiators have proven themselves in their last three group stage games and I believe they have what it takes to make it to the final of the competition. South Africa is not a new rival; we have always played them and I think this time around it is going to be 50/50. I think it will be a match where teams would have to take their chances to advance to the final, and I believe our girls have the ability to create and take scoring chances,” she said.
Namibia lost their opening match to Zambia before going on to win back-to-back matches against Eswatini and Lesotho to reach the semi-finals.
And that redemptive run has convinced Kasaona that the Gladiators have put in the required work to reach the second round and therefore deserve to reach the final.
“Them reaching the semi-finals already shows you that they are capable of overcoming the challenges that lay ahead of them. It’s also a matter of mindset and if they believe that they can do it, then it will happen; trust me.”
“The team have quality players and if they remain united as a team, I believe there is nothing that can stop them from overcoming South Africa. The team looks good and balanced and I think they are prepared to take on anyone,” she added.
The Gladiators have made six previous appearances at the Cosafa Cup, first turning up in 2006, 2008, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2021, but have never won the competition.
Namibia’s best placing in the competition was as runners-up in their maiden appearance, losing against South Africa in the final. In 2008, they lost their semi-final match against South Africa. The Gladiators again lost to Banyana Banyana in the group stages of the competition in 2017 and never made it out of the group stages the following years.
– mkambukwe@nepc.com.na