The Brave Warriors are looking forward to the rescheduled Cosafa Cup, aiming to build on their recent performances and continue their team development and rebuilding process.
This after Cosafa announced the annual tournament has been postponed to a later date.
Initially scheduled to take place from 14 to 22 June, the tournament will now continue later in June or July.
“After discussions with various stakeholders, we are exploring a new set of dates for the cup, and will provide an update in due course,” stated Cosafa.
“The new dates will give exposure for all stakeholders to ensure a world-class competition that helps take football in the region forward,” emphasised Cosafa.
Namibia had already selected a squad for the tournament, and were preparing to switch over to the Cosafa Cup preparations immediately, following their Fifa World Cup African qualifier matches. These qualifiers included matches against Liberia and Tunisia.
Both games were played away in Johannesburg, South Africa at the Orlando Stadium, and ended in stalemates.
When asked if the postponement of the Cosafa Cup offered an opportunity to fine-tune the team, the head coach of the Warriors Collin Benjamin indicated that the players need more game time to improve. He also expressed pride in the team’s performance against Tunisia, highlighting their progress in the rebuilding process.
“The willingness to close the spaces impressed me, and showed us that we are on a great path – and that we could create chances in this transition. We played well in the first half, and created about three chances. The only solution for them was to play long balls. In the second half, we also came out strongly. Tunisia only had about three corners, and that is good for us,” he said.
The match against Liberia ended in a 1-1 draw.
In their subsequent match against the giants of African football, Tunisia, the game concluded in a goalless draw, with Namibia arguably looking the better side.
The Brave Warriors had entered the match with high hopes of replicating their iconic 2023 Africa Cup of Nations’ 1-0 win against the Carthage Eagles of Tunisia.
However, despite their efforts, neither team managed to find the breakthrough to get onto the scoresheet.
Notably, Namibia had a goal disallowed in the first half.
Standout performers included Bethuel Muzeu, who proved to be a constant threat to the Tunisian defence; youthful midfielder Romeo Kasume, who displayed individual brilliance; as well as goalkeeper Lloydt Kazapua, whose experience was crucial in controlling the tempo of the match.
Namibia remains second in Group H standings with eight points, while Tunisia holds the top spot with 10 points.
In other matches within the group, São Tomé and Principe lost 1-0 to Liberia, remaining at the bottom of the table, following their fourth consecutive defeat.
Liberia is currently third in the standings.
-lmupetami@nepc.com.na