Namibia edged by Zambia in WAFCON first leg
Football
Namibia showed plenty of fight to rally from two goals down but had to settle for a 4–2 defeat at the hands of COSAFA rivals Zambia in their TotalEnergies CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) Morocco 2026 second-round, first-leg qualifier at Dobsonville Stadium in Soweto on Wednesday.
Zambia raced into an early 2–0 lead, but Namibia responded strongly after halftime, scoring twice to level the match at 2–2. However, Zambia captain Racheal Kundananji completed her hat-trick with two further strikes to secure the win for the visitors.
The first goal came in the 12th minute when Eneless Phiri broke the offside trap and set up Kundananji for an easy finish. Five minutes later, Grace Chanda’s cross found Racheal Nachula at the back post, doubling Zambia’s lead.
Namibia refused to back down, and their fightback began in the 52nd minute when Ivone Kooper scored from 15 yards after a neat passing move on the edge of the box. Namibia then drew level at 2–2 when Zenatha Coleman calmly converted a penalty following a foul on Leena Alweendo by Nachula.
Despite Namibia’s momentum, Zambia’s attacking prowess proved decisive. Kundananji struck her second goal from 15 yards out before adding a fourth after beating the offside trap and rounding Namibia goalkeeper Melissa Matheus.
The second leg of the tie will take place in Ndola on Sunday, where Namibia will look to overturn the deficit and keep their hopes alive of qualifying for the continental finals, scheduled for 17 March to 3 April 2026 in Morocco.
The winners of the 11 second-round qualification ties will join the hosts in the WAFCON Morocco 2026 tournament, which also serves as qualifiers for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil, with the four semi-finalists securing a spot at the global finals.
Fans can rewatch the action on the Namibia Football Association Facebook page or COSAFA’s YouTube channel.
Zambia raced into an early 2–0 lead, but Namibia responded strongly after halftime, scoring twice to level the match at 2–2. However, Zambia captain Racheal Kundananji completed her hat-trick with two further strikes to secure the win for the visitors.
The first goal came in the 12th minute when Eneless Phiri broke the offside trap and set up Kundananji for an easy finish. Five minutes later, Grace Chanda’s cross found Racheal Nachula at the back post, doubling Zambia’s lead.
Namibia refused to back down, and their fightback began in the 52nd minute when Ivone Kooper scored from 15 yards after a neat passing move on the edge of the box. Namibia then drew level at 2–2 when Zenatha Coleman calmly converted a penalty following a foul on Leena Alweendo by Nachula.
Despite Namibia’s momentum, Zambia’s attacking prowess proved decisive. Kundananji struck her second goal from 15 yards out before adding a fourth after beating the offside trap and rounding Namibia goalkeeper Melissa Matheus.
The second leg of the tie will take place in Ndola on Sunday, where Namibia will look to overturn the deficit and keep their hopes alive of qualifying for the continental finals, scheduled for 17 March to 3 April 2026 in Morocco.
The winners of the 11 second-round qualification ties will join the hosts in the WAFCON Morocco 2026 tournament, which also serves as qualifiers for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil, with the four semi-finalists securing a spot at the global finals.
Fans can rewatch the action on the Namibia Football Association Facebook page or COSAFA’s YouTube channel.
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