Hesron Kapanga

KORHOGO - Namibian Football Association (NFA) president Robert Shimooshili has appealed to individuals and corporate entities in Namibia to support the national football team after their impressive performance in their opening match at the African Cup of Nations currently underway in Ivory Coast.

Addressing the team on Wednesday night at the athlete’s village in Korhoho, Shimooshili pledged N$150 000 of his own money to the team and said appreciating what the team had achieved so far cannot only come by word of mouth. “I challenge the Namibian nation, those who can support the team in whatever way they can — to do so. The Namibian people are saying they love the team and are supporting them, so we need to mean what we are saying as we need to take care of the team,” he said.

Shimooshili added that the team members left their families back home to focus on a national assignment, which he believes they should be incentivised for. “We must lead by example and for what the team has done. I pledged N$150 000, and those who are in a position to, please also give your pledges to the office. We believe in the team’s potential, so the contribution should not be seen as just financial support but a vote of confidence in the resilience and determination displayed by the Brave Warriors as they brought honour and pride to the nation,” said Shimooshili.

Speaking at the same occasion, PST Bet founder and CEO Steve Hamunyela also pledged N$150 000 to the Brave Warriors.

“I want to tell you that PST Bet is very proud of your achievements and we love you; therefore, tonight (Wednesday), we are going to transfer N$150 000 for the team for what you did yesterday (Tuesday),” he said. The pledges come after Namibia’s heroic 1-0 victory over Tunisia in their opening match at the 2023 Ivory Coast TotalEnergies African Cup of Nations on Tuesday evening.

Namibia is in Group E of the competition, with Tunisia, Mali, and South Africa. Their next match was against South Africa last night; after which they were set to travel to San Pedro where they play their last group match against Mali on Wednesday. –Nampa