Zenatha Coleman scored twice as the Brave Gladiators were held to a 2-all draw by Botswana in the second leg of their 2020 Tokyo Olympics qualifier played at the Windhoek’s Sam Nujoma Stadium on Tuesday night.
The Gladiators were looking to overturn a 1-0 deficit they suffered last Friday in Gaborone, and they made a perfect start as captain Zenatha Coleman won a freekick on the edge of the box and she curled the ball into the far corner to make it 1-1 on aggregate two minutes into the game.
Coleman continued to lead the Gladiators that were more solid and determined to do well but they were undone by Botswana who scored through a great counter attack. Fingi Mahlasela pounced on 9 minutes from a great cross from the left, drilling the ball into the roof of the net to make it 2-1 on aggregate.
That meant the home side needed to score two more goals to advance to the next round of qualification, and just before halftime, Coleman struck again. Thomalina Adams won a freekick just outside the box and Coleman again incredibly went for goal and managed to score from an impossible angle and distance on 40 minutes.
The Gladiators had the edge and the momentum going into the break and started off well in the second half as Adams, the impressive Lovisa Mulunga and the hardworking Memory Ngonda all came close for Namibia.
Namibia could have scored on 52 minutes but failed to convert, Botswana yet again countered and Mahlasela was again at the end of it to make it 2-2 on 54 minutes.
Mamie Kasaona, Juliana Blouse and Beverly Uueziua came on and tried their best to swing the contest in their favour but it was not to be as Botswana held on until the very end to finish 2-2 to advance 3-2 on aggregate and will now face South Africa in the second round in August in the race to each the 2020 Olympics Games in Tokyo, Japan. –NFA.org.na
Namibia starting lineup against Botswana: Lydia Eixas, Ester Hamukwaya, Ndapewa Katuta, Emma Naris, Lovisa Mulunga, , Memory Ngonda, Milicent Hikuam, Miltret Ujamba, Julia Rutjindo, Zenatha Coleman, Thomalina Adams.