After qualifying for the round of 16 of the Africa Cup of Nations for the first time since Namibia debuted in 1998, fans are confident that the country can go all the way to the finals.
Namibia, who were in Group E, made waves on Wednesday as they reached the knockout stage for the first time by playing a goalless draw against Mali to finish third in the group.
The Brave Warriors qualified for the
last-16 as one of the competition’s best third-placed teams, thanks to accumulating four points from three matches. Before that, the Warriors’ 1-0 victory over Tunisia in their opening group game was Namibia’s first-ever victory at the tournament, and proved decisive in qualification. Meanwhile,
Angola booked their ticket to the last- 16
after defeating Burkina Faso 2-0 in their last match of the group. Speaking after the match on Wednesday, head coach Collin Benjamin said “I’m just proud to be Namibian, and proud of the players. I’m proud of their character and proud of their hunger. It’s huge what happened today”.
The man of the match, Deon Hotto, admitted that the tie was not easy, but the team managed to stick to the gameplan and execute it accordingly. “It wasn’t easy. We fought until the final whistle. This qualification means a lot for Namibia. When we arrived at the
match, we already knew we had made a point through qualifying. We tried to have a low (defensive) block, and take advantage of a few transitions. The Mali team is very strong, especially on the sides, so we played low, contained them, and we also had chances,” Hotto told www.cafonline.com.
Meanwhile, local football enthusiasts and fans shared their views on Wednesday’s match, and what they think of tomorrow’s
tie. Renowned boxing promoter Nestor
Tobias said he was impressed with the way the team carried themselves from the first minute to the final whistle.
“Before we even started, I had predicted that we would go through to the next round. The result against South Africa didn’t reflect the true reflection of that match, but we showed today that we are the best, and we are warriors,” he added. In terms of his expectations for Saturday’s encounter against Angola, Tobias said he was confident Namibia would win the match and proceed to the quarterfinals. “I think we have gained enough confidence to face any team at the tournament,” he enthused. Meanwhile, ex-FC Ongos coach Paulus Shipanga said he expects tomorrow’s match to be a tough assignment for the Warriors, but maintains that the team will get the job done.
“Angola isn’t an easy task; they have a good squad with great quality. Every team stands
a chance to win. I am rooting for Namibia,
and judging from the way they played yesterday, I do not doubt that we will go to the next round of the tournament,” he observed