A proud nation after Warriors’ success

Namibia’s senior national team’s qualification to the Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) will come in handy as far as the development of the sport in the country is concerned, administrators say.

There has been jubilation since Tuesday, when it was confirmed that Namibia will be participating in Africa's sporting showpiece in January.

Namibia competed at the event in 1998, 2008, 2019 and now in 2024.

Top achievement

Namibia Sports Commission (NSC) chief administrator Freddy Mwiya congratulated the team for their victory.

"This is great news, that one has been waiting for because our own Brave Warriors made it and they deserve this qualification.

"We should now just work hard to promote sport and bring unity to our country through sport," Mwiya noted.

He also praised stakeholders and affiliates who have made the journey of the national team possible.

"Sport in this country has grown, and Namibian teams are competitive," Mwiya added.

Anticipation

The team qualified for the Africa Cup of Nations after finishing as runners-up in group C.

It was, however, a nervy day for the team's supporters, as they had to wait for the match between Cameroon and Burundi before Namibia could be entirely sure that they had booked their place at the Ivory Coast.

Cameroon did the Namibians a favour by beating Burundi 3-0 on Tuesday night.

The result meant Namibia finished the group with five points, while group winners Cameroon secured qualification with seven points.

Burundi had hoped for a fairy-tale run, but their journey towards Afcon came to a disappointing end after finishing third on four points.

Hard work

Cameroon's victory against Burundi may have appeared like a blessing in disguise for Namibia, but the country already did themselves a favour by beating Cameroon earlier on in the group stages.

Many believe that the real job has now started as far as preparing the team for Africa’s prestigious football tournament is concerned.

Namibia Football Association interim secretary-general Jochen Traut also lauded the team's achievement.

Traut is hopeful that more sponsors will come on board to support the team as they prepare for Afcon.

"I think this is a great achievement for the country, keeping in mind the situation in the country.

"I would like to congratulate Collin Benjamin and the whole team because this was really a general team effort from everybody.

"This is just a motivation for us to keep going and keeping the faith," Traut said.

Bright future

NFA league director Mabos Vries also sang the team’s praises.

Vries believes that qualifying for the Africa Cup of Nations will brighten Namibia’s football further.

"I will also like to congratulate the entire technical team for this effort.

"As a country, we are super proud of what the players and the entire team have done.

"This will give many aspiring Namibian footballers hope for the future," Vries said.

Opportunities

CAF general coordinator Titus Kunamuene says the Africa Cup of Nations platform will work well for the players.

He is adamant that many of the players will benefit from the platform to gain bigger contracts in the future.

"The Africa Cup of Nations is a good platform for players to showcase their talent and attract big-money sponsorships from top clubs.

"It is something special for a country, and I am very proud of what the players have done.

"All we can hope for now is to see Namibia perform beyond expectations at the event," Kunamuene said.

The administrators further say that corporates and government will have to invest in the team for their preparations.

The team is likely to play a few friendly matches before heading to Ivory Coast in January for the showpiece.