Hesron Kapanga

Maqonda Ndlovu

KORHOGO/WINDHOEK – A late but clinical header drilled home by Namibia’s lethal striker Deon Hotto secured the Brave Warriors’ first-ever victory at the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) tournament on Tuesday.

The 2023 Afcon spectacle is being held in four different cities in the Ivory Coast, with the Brave Warriors and their Group E opponents based in the northern town of Korhogo.

In their opening group game of the competition on Tuesday evening, Namibia shocked one of Africa’s top footballing nations, Tunisia, with a stunning 1-0 victory at the Amadou Gon Coulibaly Stadium.

The Brave Warriors, ranked 27th on the continent, were the underdogs going into the match against Tunisia, who are ranked third in Africa. However, Namibia made history by giving Tunisia a rude awakening and securing their first-ever win at the Afcon after nine previous attempts, in which they drew two and lost seven games.

Namibia was returning to Afcon after failing to qualify in 2021, while Tunisia was making their 16th successive appearance, a tournament record, reaching the quarterfinals in three of the last four editions and finishing fourth in 2019.

Namibia’s 1-0 victory also means this was the first clean sheet in their Africa Cup of Nations history, after conceding an average of 2.66 goals per game in their nine previous games in the competition.

Tunisia are former African champions, having won the tournament in 2004 when they hosted it.

Led by captain Peter Shalulile, Namibia dominated the first half of Tuesday’s game, creating five scoring chances compared to Tunisia’s two. However, they were unable to convert any of those chances, and the first half ended goalless.

Tunisia started the second half more aggressively for the first 15 minutes but goalkeeper Lloyd Kazapua, who was in excellent form, made fantastic saves to deny the marauding Tunisian attackers.

Coach Collin Benjamin made some changes to the team later in the match, and these changes resulted in Hotto scoring the top-rate winning header from a brilliant delivery by substitute Bethuel Muzeu.

Namibia thought they had scored a second goal, but it was ruled offside with confirmation by the Video Assistant Referee (VAR).

The disallowed goal aside, Namibia still managed to claim their first victory in a continental championship courtesy of a 1-0 scoreline.

Despite Tunisia dominating possession (61% to 31%), Namibia had more shots on target (six) compared to Tunisia’s four, while registering 13 shots at goal compared to Tunisia’s 10.

Speaking to the media after the game, Tunisian coach Jalel Kadri said on paper his team were the favourites.

“There are no small teams in this competition. Congratulations to Namibia for a well-executed game. Our goal is to now do better in our next game,” he said, adding that the win for Namibia shows there is good development in African football.

Meanwhile, Benjamin said his team was clinical on the day and deserved to win.

“We were never given a chance, and what we did was going on to the field and delivering instead of talking a lot. We hope we will continue to work hard and get good results in the competition,” he said.

He said in certain phases of the game, his charges could not keep transitions and lost possession, creating difficult moments for the Brave Warriors.

“My boys are hungry footballers; they need this platform to take the next step in their careers, while some need it to launch their careers. It is a life-changing moment. Today we celebrate; tomorrow we are back on the pitch working hard,” he added.

Meanwhile, Namibians from all walks of life received the Brave Warriors victory with jubilation.

President Hage Geingob congratulated the team on his social media accounts: ‘There are no small teams playing at this tournament. First-class soccer displayed by a first-class team. I am the happiest Namibian today!’

Many of his followers on X (formerly Twitter) responded by asking him to declare a holiday, while many congratulated the team.

On other platforms, Namibians paid tribute to the team’s performance, with some jokingly suggesting that the Brave Warriors should next play the defending world champions Argentina instead of South Africa.

Former NFA president John Muinjo said he was elated with the result and proud of the way the Brave Warriors played.
“They were well prepared, had a never-say-die attitude, defended gallantly towards the end, and put their bodies in line for the country. It was a huge team effort,” he said.

His views were echoed by another former NFA president Frans Mbidi, who said the team had come of age.
“Congratulations to the technical team; they have done a fantastic job. Let us support them and encourage them. Congratulations to the new executive council as well. Let us maintain the peace. Where there is peace, there is progress,” Mbidi said.

Long-serving former NFA secretary general Barry Rukoro said the victory was a big achievement as Namibia was the lowest-ranked team at the tournament, while Tunisia was ranked third.

“We downed a big elephant. The team has been consistent. The players have the necessary experience. The technical team has been with the team long enough,” Rukoro said.

He added that the team displayed the ‘Namibian’ way of playing. Namibia’s next match in the tournament is against neighbouring South Africa who lost 2-0 to Mali in their opening match of Group E. The match between Namibia and South Africa promises fireworks and is scheduled for Sunday, 21 January 2024, at the Amadou Gon Coulibaly Stadium in Korhogo. – Nampa/ jrnmarko@gmail.com