Good luck to the Gladiators

History beckons for Namibia to qualify to the 2022 Women Africa Cup of Nations slated for Morocco, but the job still needs to be done against Zambia. Attending last week's press conference and watching the team spirit made me believe that Brave Gladiators are up for this one.It is a dream that every Namibian footballer and journalist has, to see their nation’s team competing at the highest level of African football.The only time Namibia made an appearance in the competition was when we hosted it back in 2014. That was different because we qualified automatically due to the fact of that we were the host country.It is a different ball game this time around because the ladies have it all to do against all odds in a two-legged encounter against the Zambians. The ladies will not be playing any of the two-legged matches at home because our stadiums are not fit for international games.This means that they will be heading to Zambia for their away match and then will play in South Africa for their home match.South Africa has become a home away from home and the girls will definitely have to put their homesickness aside and deliver a stellar performance. The match will definitely be decided on aggregate and that is why it is important that the girls go out on all guns blazing to secure the victory.One of the important factors that makes things interesting in two-legged encounters are the away goal rules. It is important that the team manage to score goals when they play in Zambia next week as this would ease some of the pressure on them heading into the home game. I believe that we do stand a good chance due to the crop of players that we have. Namibia’s women's team has gained much-needed experience and their level of football has increased over the years.Having said that, I feel we have a technical team that has the ability to lead the team into glory.Brave Gladiators coach Woody Jacobs has proven at club level that he is an orchestrator of well-drilled teams. This is a task he is definitely capable of passing with flying colours if the players obey his instructions.Roping in the service of Robert Nauseb, who is also a man with vast coaching experience, and Mamie Kasaona, who is a legend of the Brave Gladiators, can be a game changer during this competition.The truth is that qualifying for this tournament would not only be good for the current players but could change the fortunes of women's football in the country.The women’s football desk has been doing an incredible job over the years and this would be the icing on the cake of their hard work. It would be something to motivate any girl who aspires to become a footballer to take on the sport at the highest level. Qualifying for the tournament would open doors for many of those young gladiators who can be scouted at the tournament. This would prove to those parents who deny their children the opportunity to play football that the game can offer hope to the hopeless and dreams to the dreamless. My word of advice to the players at this moment is that they should remain calm and know that whatever the outcome, they have represented us with honour. Lastly, I would like to urge the Namibia Football Association (NFA) to honour the ladies with the amount of money they deserve in order for them to play good football, as well as feeding their families. jesse@namibiansun.com

Good luck to the Gladiators

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Republikein 2025-05-01

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Good luck to the Gladiators

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