WINDHOEK: The national senior men’s football team, the Brave Warriors drew 0-0 against Angola in their opening game of the 2024 Council of Southern Africa Football Associations (COSAFA) Cup at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Gqeberha, South Africa.
Namibia is in Group C alongside Angola, Lesotho and Seychelles in the HOLLYWOODBETS COSAFA Cup.
The Group Friday fixtures saw Angola and Namibia draw 0-0, while Lesotho drew 1-1 with Seychelles.
The highly anticipated match between the Brave Warriors and Palancas Negras did not meet expectations as neither team managed to score despite their best efforts, and with the match ending in a draw, the Brave Warriors are currently at the bottom of the group. Lesotho leads the group with one point, just like the Brave Warriors. Seychelles is in second place and Angola in third, both with one point.
The Brave Warriors’ next match in the competition will be against Group C leader Lesotho on Monday at 15h00.
In an interview after the game, the national senior football
team coach Collin Benjamin said that both teams were evenly matched and controlled each other a lot.
‘From the team’s side, a bit of decision-making and technical ability let us down as we struggled to penetrate the opponent’s final third. But overall, I’m pleased with the results. It’s important to start with a good result and to play against a team like this,’ he said.
He added that their goal is to improve technically as well as work on breaking into the opposition’s box.
‘We focused a lot on technique and compact movements, but in the final third, we needed to be more lethal. Having Peter Shalulile in the team would have been better, but we needed to create the next Peter, and these are the games where they need to improve as players,’ said Benjamin who added that their game against Angola was a learning experience for the young squad.
The 2025 African Cup of Nations (AFCON) draw is scheduled for 04 July 2024, and Namibia is expected to face tough opponents.
‘Therefore, these types of games are essen
tial for preparing the young team for hostile environments,’ Benjamin said.
Source: The Namibia Press Agency