Namibia has mixed fortunes at CAF African Schools Football Championship

This past weekend, the Jan Wilken Stadium at Walvis Bay played host to the CAF African Schools Football Championship (Cosafa Qualifier).

The event saw eight southern African nations battle for supremacy in the under-15 boys and girls categories.

For Namibia, it was a tournament of mixed fortunes, as both the boys’ and girls’ teams showed promise but ultimately failed to reach the semi-finals.

The Namibian boys entered the tournament with high hopes but struggled to make an impact in their group stage matches. Their first game on Friday, saw them endure a heavy 0-5 defeat at the hands of a powerful Malawi side. The Malawians, who were determined to avenge their penalty shootout loss to South Africa in last year’s final, dominated from the outset, giving Namibia no room to manoeuvre.

In their second match, Namibia faced Zambia in what was a much closer contest. However, a goal from Zambia sealed a 1-0 victory, leaving Namibia on the verge of elimination.

The final group game against Lesotho was an opportunity for the Namibians to redeem themselves. They managed to win 2-1, but it was not enough to secure a place in the semi-finals, as they failed to accumulate the necessary points.

Coach Shipena Nakalondo expressed disappointment in his team’s overall performance, attributing their early exit to poor preparation.

“We knew we were going to host such a big championship, but the boys only started coming together on Thursday (one day before the tournament), and by then it was too late to build proper chemistry. The delay in administrative processes meant we were not able to field the full squad in our opening game, which affected our morale,” he told The Namibian.

Reflecting on the future, Nakalondo remained hopeful.

“The boys showed potential, especially in that last game against Lesotho. They fought hard for that victory, and I believe they have a bright future. With better preparation next time, we can perform much better.”

On the girls’ side, Namibia’s journey followed a similar trajectory.

Their opening match against Malawi ended in a 2-2 draw, a promising start for the hosts. In their second game, it was a 3-0 ‘walkover’ victory against Zambia. The Zambian girls’ team did not participate in the tournament, so their matches were automatically awarded to their opponents by a 3-0 scoreline. As a result, Namibia earned three points without playing on the field for their second game.

However, they then faced Lesotho in a must-win match on Saturday morning, and a single goal from Lesotho ended Namibia’s hopes of advancing to the semi-finals.

“Our girls played really well in the second half, but I think the first half was affected by nerves and overconfidence, especially after drawing with Malawi. We struggled with the cold weather too, as most of our games were played in the early morning, which made it difficult for the girls to get comfortable,” says coach Wahengo Puye.

Puye adds that limited experience was a significant obstacle.

“For some of the kids, this was their first time,” she says.

Despite the early exit, Puye praised her players, expecting a bright future for them.

As the Namibian teams bowed out of the tournament, South Africa continued to assert their dominance in both the boys’ and girls’ categories.

The boys’ final against Zambia ended in a 0-0 draw after regular time. The match had to be decided by penalties, where South Africa emerged victorious with a 4-2 scoreline.

The South African girls also triumphed, defeating Malawi 3-1 in yesterday’s final to claim yet another title.