Futsal team qualifies for AFCON on first attempt
The Namibians overturned the deficit and made history in Dar es Salaam.
The Namibian national men’s futsal team returned triumphant yesterday after an excellent display of determination in the second leg of the qualifying fixture for the TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nation.
The Namibians beating Tanzania 6-3 to ensure the country’s debut at the continental tournament which will take place in Morocco from 8 to 19 April.
Tanzania convincingly won the first leg 5-2 at the Windhoek Showgrounds the previous weekend, which gave them the advantage going into their home match in Dar es Salaam.
Namibia had a mountain to climb, but did so by winning the match 6-3. On aggregate the score ended at 8-8, with Namibia advancing on the away goal differential.
Goals by Ken Salote (three), Wesley Otto, Max Boll and Vilo Lawrence ensured the celebrations were on the Namibian side for much of the match.
Vice-captain George Haikali said: “I am extremely proud of my team for their resilience and determination throughout this qualifying campaign. We faced a tough challenge in Tanzania, but we never lost faith in ourselves.
“The first-leg match was a learning experience for us, but we came back stronger in the rematch. We remained focused on our ultimate goal and we fought until the end.
“The support from our fans both in Namibia and in Tanzania was incredible and gave us the motivation to push through. Qualifying for the Futsal Africa Cup of Nations on our first attempt is a huge achievement for us and in Morocco we’ll be looking forward to competing against the best teams in Africa.
“I want to thank my teammates, our coaching staff, and everyone who believed in us. This is just the beginning for Namibian futsal and we will continue to work hard to make our country proud. We’ll see you in Morocco!”
Goalkeeper Riya Usurua was ecstatic after the game. “We are thrilled to have qualified for the Africa Cup of Nations. It was a tough match, but we fought hard and came out on top. The support we received was incredible and we are very grateful.”
Usurua added that the team will fully focus on preparing for the bigger challenge and giving it their all to represent Namibia on a continental level.
“We know that the competition will be tough, but we are determined to show what we are capable of. This is a great achievement for us and we will continue to work hard to make our country proud,”
Besides debutants Namibia and Mauritania, Angola, Egypt, Ghana, Libya, Zambia and hosts Morocco will compete in the eight-nation Afcon.
Africa’s top three teams will qualify for the 2024 FIFA Futsal World Cup to be held in Uzbekistan during September and October.
The Namibians beating Tanzania 6-3 to ensure the country’s debut at the continental tournament which will take place in Morocco from 8 to 19 April.
Tanzania convincingly won the first leg 5-2 at the Windhoek Showgrounds the previous weekend, which gave them the advantage going into their home match in Dar es Salaam.
Namibia had a mountain to climb, but did so by winning the match 6-3. On aggregate the score ended at 8-8, with Namibia advancing on the away goal differential.
Goals by Ken Salote (three), Wesley Otto, Max Boll and Vilo Lawrence ensured the celebrations were on the Namibian side for much of the match.
Vice-captain George Haikali said: “I am extremely proud of my team for their resilience and determination throughout this qualifying campaign. We faced a tough challenge in Tanzania, but we never lost faith in ourselves.
“The first-leg match was a learning experience for us, but we came back stronger in the rematch. We remained focused on our ultimate goal and we fought until the end.
“The support from our fans both in Namibia and in Tanzania was incredible and gave us the motivation to push through. Qualifying for the Futsal Africa Cup of Nations on our first attempt is a huge achievement for us and in Morocco we’ll be looking forward to competing against the best teams in Africa.
“I want to thank my teammates, our coaching staff, and everyone who believed in us. This is just the beginning for Namibian futsal and we will continue to work hard to make our country proud. We’ll see you in Morocco!”
Goalkeeper Riya Usurua was ecstatic after the game. “We are thrilled to have qualified for the Africa Cup of Nations. It was a tough match, but we fought hard and came out on top. The support we received was incredible and we are very grateful.”
Usurua added that the team will fully focus on preparing for the bigger challenge and giving it their all to represent Namibia on a continental level.
“We know that the competition will be tough, but we are determined to show what we are capable of. This is a great achievement for us and we will continue to work hard to make our country proud,”
Besides debutants Namibia and Mauritania, Angola, Egypt, Ghana, Libya, Zambia and hosts Morocco will compete in the eight-nation Afcon.
Africa’s top three teams will qualify for the 2024 FIFA Futsal World Cup to be held in Uzbekistan during September and October.
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