The Brave Warriors’ ambitions for the 2022 Fifa World Cup were yesterday brought to a final halt when they suffered a 1-0 defeat against a determined Togolese side, which scored in the dying minutes of their Group H qualifier at the Orlando Stadium to finish as runners-up.
Senegal, who sit top of the group with 16 points, have already qualified for the second and final round of the football showpiece, and it was Namibia and Togo who had to fight for the consolatory runners-up spot.
A missed penalty in the 37th minute by captain Peter Shalulile could have placed Namibia well on her way to a 1-0 win over Togo, but the upright denied Shalulile who could also not bury the rebound.
Both halves were characterised by little goalscoring chances, as the two sides were wary in their approach and avoided mistakes at the back. It was until the dying minutes of the second half that Togo started firing from all angles, and their persistence paid off in the 88th minute when a loosely marked Euloge Placca pounced on an incoming ball to slot home from outside the box for a 1-0 lead.
Namibia tried fighting back but the Togolese remained on high alert, which saw them finish second in the group with eight points, followed by Namibia in third place with five and Congo on three points.