Namibia’s senior women’s football team yesterday left for South Africa to compete in the ninth edition of the Cosafa Women’s Championship that gets underway today.
The competition will be held in Nelson Mandela Bay, and Namibia’s Brave Gladiators are in group C alongside Zambia, Eswatini as well as Uganda, who were invited to the competition.
They begin their campaign with a game against Uganda on Thursday, before taking on Zambia on Sunday, 3 October. Their last group match will be against Eswatini on 5 October.
The Gladiators were dealt a huge blow after it was revealed that captain and key player Zenatha Coleman could not be released by her club.
Head coach Nicholas ‘Woody’ Jacobs is, however, confident they will do well at the competition.
“On the balance of what I have witnessed, the team has progressed well, playing three friendly matches. So, in my opinion, I think we are good in terms of fitness, although not 100%,” he told New Era Sport.
“Our objective is to do well at Cosafa even though it's going to be difficult. We know very little about our opponents which is both beneficial and a disadvantage. But we want to impose ourselves and our style on our opponents. We want to reach the semifinals, from there on we can dream.”
Jacobs also told the Namibia Football Association (NFA) media desk the team has quality players whom he believes can steal the show and highlight themselves to women football in the region and the tournament.
The best runners-up in the three groups will join the pool winners in the semifinals, meaning there is little margin for error.
South Africa won the first three editions of the regional showpiece competition in 2002, 2006 and 2008, before Zimbabwe claimed victory on home soil in 2011. The tournament had a brief hiatus until it was re-started in 2017 and has been played annually since, with South Africa being victorious on each occasion.
The squad:
Goalkeepers: Agnes Kauzuu, Melissa Matheus, Sussana Eises.
Defenders: Selma Enkali, Emma Naris, Iina Katuta, Lovisa Mulunga, Lydiana Nanamus, Veronica van Wyk, Nicole Philander, Kamunikire Tjituka.
Midfielders: Annouschka Kordom, Milicent Hikuam, Memory Ngonda, Shanice Diaries, Asteria Angula, Tuelikondjela Amukoto.
Forwards: Stella Williams, Kylie van Wyk, Anna-Marie Shikusho, Beverly Ueziua, Thomalina Adams, Juliana Blou, Fiola Vliete, Gaironeeza Maclobo.
- mkambukwe@nepc.com.na
- Additional information from Cosafa and NFA