COSAFA U20 HEARTBREAK: NAMIBIA U20 OUT OF COSAFA

U20 Namibia’s dream of reaching the COSAFA U20 semifinals ended in heartbreak after a 2-0 loss to Malawi in their final group match at home in Windhoek. The young Brave Warriors gave everything throughout the tournament. But a second-half mistake and a late goal were enough to send them out. A misjudged clearance from their 16-year-old goalkeeper led to Malawi’s first goal, scored by Mwishp Mhango in the 74th minute. Then, in added time, Clifford Chisale sealed the result with a second goal in the 95th minute. 

Namibia finished 3rd in Group A with three points. Malawi topped the group with seven points, Angola had six, and Zimbabwe ended without any points. The tounament started with a narrow 1-0 loss to Angola, Namibia’s longtime rivals. It was a hard-fought match, but a single goal made the difference. In their second game, Namibia bounced back with an exciting 3-2 win over Zimbabwe. Rashid Naobeb scored twice, and Diverse Kauzuu added a third, bringing hope to local fans.

Despite missing out on the semi-finals, head-coach Jeremi Zimmer remained proud of his players and looked ahead with hope. “It was a do-or-die game. We tried to attack early and get goals. But one mistake changed everything,” said Zimmer. He also showed support for the young goalkeeper. “He is still emotional, but he’s one of the best in the country. He will learn from this. He’ll come back stronger”. Zimmer believes the experience gained this year will be valuable moving foward. “For many of these boys, it was their first time playing at this level. Now we know what it takes. We’ll fix our mistakes and return ready next year.”

While the boys’ journey ends here, there is still joy for Namibian football. The U20 women’s team has advanced to the semi finals after a hard fought 2-1 victory over Botswana. Ontheedite Tokwane and Tamara Hangula scored the goals that sealed the win. Namibia now tops Group A and will face the runner-up of Group B in the semifinals.