Wheels come off for ‘sleepy’ Warriors


There are likely to be wholesale changes made to the Brave Warriors for their final Cosafa Cup group fixture against Botswana tomorrow, following Saturday’s dismal showing when losing 2-1 to Eswatini.

Namibia were sloppy and underwhelming at the King Zwelithini Stadium in Durban as they fell to a spirited Sihlangu who came from behind to claim the win to boost their chances of qualifying for the knock-out stage. 

South Africa also came from behind to beat Botswana 2-1 in the other Group A clash and take pole position on the table. 

The defeat sees Namibia drop to the bottom of Group A on one point, with Eswatini now third on three points behind Botswana, who also have three points, and leaders South Africa on four. 

Namibia’s only hope of making it to the next round hinges on beating the wounded Botswana Zebras and hoping results elsewhere go their way.  

Head coach Collin Benjamin blamed the erratic display on international naivety, saying his side went to sleep after their commendable 1-1 draw against hosts South Africa on Wednesday.   

“We started off slow and somehow we got into the game and took the lead with a good freekick,” Benjamin said.

“We failed to get our organisation and structure. If you look at their first goal, it’s not taking responsibility or accountability. And while we’re still in that nap, they scored the second goal. I think that if you make those errors in international soccer, it doesn’t matter who the opponent is, you’re going to get punished and Eswatini did that and I congratulate them.”

The Brave Warriors looked to have shaken off their sluggish start to the match when Absalom Iimbondi broke the deadlock with a sumptuous freekick on 34 minutes. 

However, Sifiso Matse drew Eswatini level with a deflected shot from the edge of the box four minutes from half time. 

And just three minutes later Sihlangu Semnikati claimed the lead, after a long ball caught the Warriors’ defence square, allowing Bongwa Matsebula to run in behind before slotting a crisp finish between Eduard Maova’s legs for 2-1.

Other than their persistent aerial weakness and lapses in concentration, Benjamin said his side suffers from a mental block when expectations are high. Saturday’s defeat mirrored the recent capitulation in Tanzania when they lost 3-2 to Burundi in their final 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier. 

But there is no need to bury their heads in the sand with another match to redeem themselves on the horizon, Benjamin said. 

“When you have to produce, it becomes a bit difficult, a bit of a blockage for our kids. It’s definitely something we have to work on. It’s young players. They’re going to get knocked, but it’s important that they stand up, and only through these knocks are they going to learn,” said Benjamin. 

The coach intends to rotate the personnel for tomorrow’s clash against Botswana to give the rest of his squad playing time. 

The teams will wrap up their Group A campaigns tomorrow, with South Africa facing Eswatini at Princess Magogo Stadium, at the same time that Botswana and Namibia meet at the Moses Mabhida Stadium.

“There are players in the squad that need that exposure. They have to come to the party, it’s a responsibility of a team. So, we’re definitely looking at a few changes and giving a few youngsters more time to grow. But we’re definitely going to give it our best shot against Botswana and see how that goes,” said Benjamin.