Namibia makes history as Junior Africa Cup continues

The Junior Africa Cup 2025 got underway on Friday, with Namibia hosting the continent’s top under-21 men’s and women’s hockey teams at Windhoek High School’s Trustco Davin Astro. Both Namibian teams featured on the opening day, with the women beating Kenya and the men overcoming their long-time rivals, Egypt, for the first time.The six-day tournament has drawn participation from seven African nations, including South Africa, Egypt, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Kenya, Uganda and Zimbabwe. The competition serves as a qualifier for the prestigious FIH Junior Hockey World Cups, set to take place later this year in India (men) and Chile (women).Carin Slabbert, president of the Namibia Hockey Federation, expressed pride in the national teams’ progress: “Hockey is a sport that has great potential in Namibia and we are extremely proud of our teams. It would be fantastic if both the men’s and women’s sides qualify for the World Cups this year.”She emphasised the financial strain of hosting such an event. “Putting together a tournament of this scale requires substantial funding. We hope for more support to continue growing the sport.”Namibia’s men made history by defeating Egypt 3-1 – their first-ever victory in field hockey against the North African giants. Team captain John-Paul Britz scored twice, while Owen Hatton added a third to seal the remarkable win. Head coach Johann Weyhe praised his team’s performance. “The boys have prepared well. Egypt is one of our biggest rivals, so this win means a lot.”Namibia’s women’s team also impressed, beating Kenya 3-0 in their opening fixture. Captain Azaylee Philander commented: “We played well, but there’s still room for improvement. This is only the beginning, and we’re aiming for the finals.”The 21-year-old added that the team has worked hard and is determined to qualify.On Saturday, Namibia’s U21 women followed up with a dominant 6-0 victory over Zimbabwe. Their goal-scorers were Onique Bezuidenhout (2), Maryke Kruger (1), Mia Karsten (2) and Marika Neethling (1). However, the men suffered a heavy 0–8 defeat against a clinical South African side.On Tuesday, Namibia’s men face Zimbabwe at 15:00, while the women take on Uganda at 19:00.South Africa’s teams continue to showcase their dominance. The men overwhelmed Namibia 8-0, and the women delivered a stunning 19-0 win over Zambia, with an incredible eight goals scored in the final quarter alone.As the tournament progresses, teams are vying for a top-three finish to secure qualification for the expanded 24-team Junior World Cups. The event runs until Friday, when the qualified African representatives will be confirmed.

Namibia makes history as Junior Africa Cup continues

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Republikein 2025-11-04

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Namibia makes history as Junior Africa Cup continues

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