Hilma Nalupe
For the third time in a row, Namibia will compete at the Confederation of African Football (CAF) African Schools Football Championship and COSAFA qualifiers taking place from 5-7 December in Stellenbosch, South Africa.
Namibia made its debut in 2023 during the zonal qualifiers held in Harare, Zimbabwe, where the boys’ team claimed victories over Madagascar, Angola and Zambia, but lost to South Africa. They faced Zimbabwe in the third-place playoff, where they narrowly lost 0-1, finishing fourth overall. The girls’ team also secured fourth place that year after a walkover win against Zambia, a 0-0 draw with Madagascar, a win over Angola and a 3-0 defeat to South Africa.
Both teams struggled to advance from their respective pools during last year’s edition, which was hosted in Namibia, but hopes remain high for a stronger performance in South Africa this year.
In the boys’ competition last year, Namibia started with a 6-0 loss to Malawi, followed by a 1-0 defeat to Zambia. They ended their campaign with a 2-1 win over Lesotho, but it was only enough for third place in their pool.
In the girls’ competition, Namibia drew 2-2 with Malawi before receiving a 3-0 walkover win against Zambia. This set up a decisive encounter against Lesotho for second place in the pool, but Namibia narrowly lost 1-0.
The draw for this year’s 2025 championship will be made a few days before the tournament kicks off and Namibia will be aiming to break into the top tier as they continue striving for a breakthrough performance on the continental stage.