Namibia’s senior men’s football team is set to participate in the FIFA Series, which will be hosted by Kazakhstan during the March and April international window.

The FIFA Series is an invitational tournament promoted by the world football governing body FIFA and features friendly matches between national teams from different confederations. Introduced as a competitive international friendly format, the series brings together four national teams in a single host country during a FIFA international window.

Each participating team will play two official ‘A’ international matches, providing meaningful competition while allowing coaches the opportunity to assess players and fine-tune tactical approaches.

This year’s edition of the FIFA Series will feature 48 national teams, competing across 12 groups of four teams each during the March and April international match window. Namibia has been drawn alongside Kuwait, Comoros, and hosts Kazakhstan, with all matches set to be staged under the auspices of the Kazakhstan Football Federation.

Brave Warriors head coach Collin Benjamin welcomed FIFA’s invitation, describing it as a positive step for Namibian football.

“The FIFA Series 2026 brings together national teams with a wide range of competitive profiles, and being part of this initiative is a step in the right direction for Namibian football. The platform will provide our players with valuable international match exposure as part of FIFA’s broader efforts to enhance global football development,” Benjamin said.

The tournament will be played over two match days. On the opening match day, teams will contest pre-determined fixtures, followed by a second round of matches in which teams face opponents based on results or scheduled pairings. 

While an overall winner may be determined, the primary focus of the FIFA Series remains preparation, development, and international exposure rather than silverware.

All matches played during the FIFA Series will count towards the FIFA World Rankings, making the competition an important platform for teams aiming to improve their international standing. 

-hnalupe@nepc.com.na