Namibia will enter today’s Cosafa Cup tournament tie at 15h00 against Seychelles with an advantage, but coach Collin Benjamin has emphasised the need to stay grounded and focused on collecting points, despite their previous win.
Namibia currently sits second in Group C after a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Lesotho on Monday at the Isaac Wolfson Stadium in Gqeberha. Goals from Ivan Kamberipa and Black Leopards’ forward Bethuel Muzeu secured the win.
Meanwhile, their opponents Seychelles are in third place with a single point after a draw and a 3-2 loss in their previous game against Angola.
Historical matchups favour Namibia. Statistics show they are undefeated in all six encounters with Seychelles, winning three times. In the four meetings at the Cosafa Cup specifically, Namibia has emerged victorious twice, including a 3-0 win in May 2019, their last encounter. Namibia has also kept clean sheets in their last two fixtures against Seychelles.
Despite the confidence from their previous match, Benjamin cautioned that the team must focus on advancing to the next round. “We want to play more than two games from now, and that is our target. I know we are coming from a win, but Seychelles are not an easy team. They held their own against Angola in a very technical match,” he said.
Benjamin also expressed pride in the team’s performance so far. “We have a youthful team, and I am happy that Cosafa has given us the opportunity to showcase their talent. For us to compete in major competitions like the upcoming African Cup of Nations, we must start here and embrace this competition. I believe the boys have punched above their weight, and hope we will go all the way in this tournament,” he added.
Meanwhile, Aprocius Petrus, who was awarded Man of the Match in the previous game against Lesotho, praised the team’s fighting spirit, and expressed confidence in their potential. “Well-deserved three points from us as a collective, with good fighting spirit. It was our second match, and you could see the level of play improving. We expect three points in our next match against Seychelles,” he said.
– mkambukwe@nepc.com.na