Brave Warriors jet off to South Africa
Football
Current premier league top-scorer Mbakondja Tjahikika of African Stars is in line to make his debut in the national team.
Namibia’s Brave Warriors yesterday left for South Africa to compete in this year’s Cosafa Cup football tournament, which kicks off tomorrow.
Coach Collin Benjamin will be accompanied by a squad of 23 players as they attempt to win the regional tournament the country last won in 2015.
Benjamin has entrusted the goalkeeping duties to Edward Maova, Jonas Mateus and Kamaijanda Ndisiro as the three shot-stoppers in the squad.
Ivan Kamberipa and Charles Hambira will be leading the defence with a relatively inexperienced looking back-line that has the likes of David Haingwafa, Sisquo Haraseb, Vevangapi Mbuende, Tyrese Hikupembe and Kennedy Eib.
Ngero Katua (African Stars), who was part of the 2024 Afcon team, has also been included in the defence, while popular figure Riaan Hanamub (AmaZulu) will not be part of this competition.
The team in the midfield is bolstered by a different looking team, with current league top-scorer Mbakondja Tjahikika of African Stars expected to make a debut at the competition.
Veteran attacking player Willy Stephanus also travelled with the team, accompanied by Botswana’s premiership player of the season Moses Shidolo as well as Paulus Amutenya and Alfeus Levi.
Regular midfielders such as Deon Hotto (Orlando Pirates) and Kennedy Amutenya (Gaborone United) will not be part of the competition this time around.
The front pack may be missing the national record goal-poacher Peter Shalulile, who represented last Sunday night's beaten CAF Champions League finalists Mamelodi Sundowns. His absence means that Benjamin will rely on Bethuel Muzeu, Riwaldo Prins, Wiseman Liswaniso Lifasi and Joslin Kamatuka as striking options.
The NFA's spokesperson Tuzera-Otjiua Jeomba said: “The regular national players who did not make the cut are currently nursing injuries, or are bound to club duties.”
Early fixtures
Zimbabwe and Mauritius will open the Cosafa Cup 2025 in Mangaung (Bloemfontein) when they clash in Group A at the Toyota Stadium on Wednesday, June 4 (kick-off 15:00).
Later on the opening day, hosts South Africa will welcome Mozambique at the same venue in a repeat of their opening game in 2024 that finished 1-1. That match will kick-off at 18:00.
Malawi and Lesotho play the first game in Group B on Thursday, June 5 (15:00), and later in the evening Angola and Namibia are in action in a repeat of last year’s final that was won 5-0 by Palancas Negras (18:00).
The first game in the three-team Group C is the following day when Morocco take on Madagascar (15:00), before Group D gets underway when record seven-time winners Zambia clash with Comoros (18:00).
Groups
GROUP A: South Africa, Mozambique, Mauritius, Zimbabwe.
GROUP B: Angola, Namibia, Malawi, Lesotho.
GROUP C: Morocco, Madagascar, Eswatini.
GROUP D: Zambia, Comoros, Botswana.
Coach Collin Benjamin will be accompanied by a squad of 23 players as they attempt to win the regional tournament the country last won in 2015.
Benjamin has entrusted the goalkeeping duties to Edward Maova, Jonas Mateus and Kamaijanda Ndisiro as the three shot-stoppers in the squad.
Ivan Kamberipa and Charles Hambira will be leading the defence with a relatively inexperienced looking back-line that has the likes of David Haingwafa, Sisquo Haraseb, Vevangapi Mbuende, Tyrese Hikupembe and Kennedy Eib.
Ngero Katua (African Stars), who was part of the 2024 Afcon team, has also been included in the defence, while popular figure Riaan Hanamub (AmaZulu) will not be part of this competition.
The team in the midfield is bolstered by a different looking team, with current league top-scorer Mbakondja Tjahikika of African Stars expected to make a debut at the competition.
Veteran attacking player Willy Stephanus also travelled with the team, accompanied by Botswana’s premiership player of the season Moses Shidolo as well as Paulus Amutenya and Alfeus Levi.
Regular midfielders such as Deon Hotto (Orlando Pirates) and Kennedy Amutenya (Gaborone United) will not be part of the competition this time around.
The front pack may be missing the national record goal-poacher Peter Shalulile, who represented last Sunday night's beaten CAF Champions League finalists Mamelodi Sundowns. His absence means that Benjamin will rely on Bethuel Muzeu, Riwaldo Prins, Wiseman Liswaniso Lifasi and Joslin Kamatuka as striking options.
The NFA's spokesperson Tuzera-Otjiua Jeomba said: “The regular national players who did not make the cut are currently nursing injuries, or are bound to club duties.”
Early fixtures
Zimbabwe and Mauritius will open the Cosafa Cup 2025 in Mangaung (Bloemfontein) when they clash in Group A at the Toyota Stadium on Wednesday, June 4 (kick-off 15:00).
Later on the opening day, hosts South Africa will welcome Mozambique at the same venue in a repeat of their opening game in 2024 that finished 1-1. That match will kick-off at 18:00.
Malawi and Lesotho play the first game in Group B on Thursday, June 5 (15:00), and later in the evening Angola and Namibia are in action in a repeat of last year’s final that was won 5-0 by Palancas Negras (18:00).
The first game in the three-team Group C is the following day when Morocco take on Madagascar (15:00), before Group D gets underway when record seven-time winners Zambia clash with Comoros (18:00).
Groups
GROUP A: South Africa, Mozambique, Mauritius, Zimbabwe.
GROUP B: Angola, Namibia, Malawi, Lesotho.
GROUP C: Morocco, Madagascar, Eswatini.
GROUP D: Zambia, Comoros, Botswana.
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