Benjamin pushing youth football agenda

Budding Namibian footballers will get the opportunity to gauge their level against their peers internationally in January when the HopHydro Cup Namibia debuts in Windhoek.

The three-team under-18 competition runs from 17 to 18 January and is jointly organised by Namibian/German green hydrogen company HopHydro and the Collin Benjamin Soccer Academy (CBS), who will participate as hosts.

Alongside this year’s MTC HopSol Youth Soccer League under-18 title winners will be South African powerhouse Mamelodi Sundowns and German second-tier side FC Nürnberg, showcasing their talent in “the first and biggest international under-18 junior soccer tournament in Namibia”.

The international youth tournament is devised by Brave Warriors head coach and CBS founder Collin Benjamin, who also initiated the MTC Hopsol Youth League.

Benjamin strongly believes Namibian football can only elevate if they readily invest in youth football development.

“Junior soccer players are the future of our national senior leagues as well as of our national teams. This unique junior soccer tournament will provide an impression where Europe and Africa stand with the highest level youth soccer development,” says Benjamin, who spent the bulk of his playing career in the German top flight.

The Namibia Football Association (NFA) welcomed the initiative, saying it will offer Namibian youngsters a priceless experience.

“In the formative years of independence, we saw our youth and junior teams participating in European youth competitions like the Gothia Cup in Sweden, the Helsinki Cup in Finland and the Westphalen exchange programme. Participation in these tournaments was partly the reason our national teams did well at age group and senior levels,” NFA spokesperson Isack Hamata says.

“The HopHydro Cup adopts a similar character, drawing top clubs to test their mettle against Namibian outfits. That will help our country’s football grow by learning from more experienced clubs, enabling us to understand where to improve and tweak,” he notes.

“In the final analysis, the HopHydro Cup is a good thing to happen to Namibian football. It should not be a once off event. It should take place annually and hopefully more Namibian youth clubs or formations should participate in it.”