Brave Warriors’ head coach Collin Benjamin remarked that Saturday’s match was crucial for testing new players ahead of two crucial World Cup qualifiers this week.
As part of their preparations for upcoming matches on Wednesday and Sunday, the national senior men’s football team faced Lesotho in a friendly on Saturday, resulting in a stalemate.
The Warriors are set to face Liberia on Wednesday before taking on Tunisia, whom they defeated 1-0 earlier this year during the African Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast.
Reflecting on the match, Benjamin emphasised its value as an opportunity to evaluate new talent within the team.
“It was a good test, allowing our young players to gain valuable experience against a formidable international opponent. Lesotho’s ability to play from the back was particularly impressive, and highlighted areas for improvement in our own tactics,” he commented.
“Throughout the game, Lesotho displayed strong technical ability. While we missed a couple of chances in the first half, we will learn from this experience. Our team is young and evolving, and facing a well-organised opponent like Lesotho helps us understand how to break down disciplined defences. Ultimately, the 1-1 draw was a fair result.”
Lesotho head coach Leslie Notši commended the Namibian team for their performance, acknowledging the match as beneficial preparation for their upcoming World Cup qualifiers against Zimbabwe and Rwanda.
“I would like to express gratitude to Namibia for the opportunity to play against them as we gear up for the World Cup qualifiers. Our team gained valuable insights from this match, and I am pleased with our performance,” said Notši.
-mkambukwe@nepc.com.na