Benjamin vows to fight 

Brave Warriors coach Collin Benjamin has vowed to go out fighting when they take on Cameroon and Kenya in their final Afcon 2025 qualifying matches in South Africa over the next week. 

The Brave Warriors leave for Johannesburg this morning for their ‘home’ match against Cameroon at Orlando Stadium on Wednesday, while they will remain there before their final qualifying match against Kenya at the Peter Mokaba Stadium in Polokwane next Tuesday, 19 November.

Namibia is out of contention for a place at the 2025 Afcon finals in Morocco, having lost all four their qualifying matches to date, but Benjamin said they will give it their all. 

“We are Brave Warriors and we are going to fight. I always had to fight for everything – I was in Germany for 20 years, I never gave up, you fight, and that’s what we are going to do, we are going to keep on fighting. I have more appetite now than ever to take this rebuilding process on and I’m looking forward to that,” he said. 

“It’s very important to get the players’ mentality right, because even though we are out of the competition, we are still Brave Warriors, and it’s still about national pride. It’s about exposing these young players, putting them in the spotlight, and if they can play well, they can get contracts abroad and make a living for themselves, so there’s definitely a lot to play for,” he added. 

Although the Brave Warriors are out of Afcon 2025, they are still very much in the race for the 2026 Fifa World Cup, currently lying second in Group H behind Tunisia, and Benjamin said they are also preparing for that. 

“We still have a very good chance for the World Cup and that’s what we are aiming towards – to get this group of players in good shape come March when we have to take on the World Cup qualifiers. But we are now in a transition period, where we’re bringing in new, younger players, so they need game time and we need lots of matches, and corporate Namibia has to come in and assist the NFA,” he said.

“They are doing their best to keep all the national teams active, the Brave Gladiators, the u20 national teams, they are all playing in the Cosafa competitions, but the NFA is not an entity that creates revenue. It’s a national team that belongs to the nation, so Namibia has to come to the party to support this transition, to get these young players to a level where we can actually compete,” he added.

“The NFA doesn’t have money and there’s even issues now of us going to South Africa to honour these matches. It might be players not being paid, but the NFA is doing its part and working on it… The players know the problems, but they are patriotic. I know Deon Hotto will call me tonight, saying ‘hey coach when can I report for duty’, and (Peter), Shalulile, (Lloyd) Kazapua, and the others, they are all fully on board,” he said.

Benjamin said it was a huge drawback for Namibia having to play their home matches in South Africa, and called on corporate Namibia to assist. 

“What if ten companies say, I’m going to fix the stairs; I’m going to do the VIP room; I’m going to do the field at the Independence Stadium, don’t you think we will get to a stage where the national team can play at the Independence Stadium. If African Stars and Chula Chula can attract 20 000 fans what is the national team able to do at home? It’s not a soccer problem or a coaching or players problem, it’s a Namibian problem, but Namibia is just watching, and that is the problem that we have to address. You have to come to the party guys,” he said.