Brave Warriors coach Collin Benjamin has welcomed the Hollywoodbets Cosafa Cup draw, saying that Namibia will be going all out to win the title this year.
Namibia were drawn in group B where they will play against the defending champions Angola, Lesotho and Malawi at this year’s tournament in Mangaung, South Africa, from 4 to 15 June.
Namibia has been very competitive in the Cosafa Cup in recent years, reaching two of the last three finals, but they lost both, going down 1-0 to Zambia in 2022 and 5-0 to Angola in last year’s final.
Benjamin yesterday said they are aiming to win the title this year.
“We reached the final twice over the past three years so this time we want to go all the way and win the title. We will just have to work harder and be smarter tactically than in the past,” he said.
“I think we have a good draw – the boys will be guaranteed at least three matches and potentially five, so it will provide a good platform for our players to showcase their skills and gain experience,” he said.
Hosts South Africa were drawn in group A where they will meet old foes Zimbabwe, as well as last year’s bronze medallists Mozambique, and Mauritius.
South Africa are seeking a first trophy since 2021, while six-time winners Zimbabwe have not held the silverware aloft since 2018. Both will consider that too long a wait.
North African guest nation Morocco, who were semifinalists at the 2022 Fifa World Cup in Qatar, are in the three-team group C with Madagascar and Eswatini, while group D contains record seven-time winners Zambia, Comoros and Botswana.
The top team in each pool advances to the semifinals, with winner of group A to face the top side in group D, and the leading team in group B up against the top team in group C.
The competition will be staged in Mangaung for the first time, with the Free State Stadium, a venue for the 2010 Fifa World Cup, and Dr Petrus Molemela Stadium to host matches.
The 23 previous editions of the Cosafa Cup have seen some great performances and incredible games that have been written into the folklore of Southern African football, but only five nations can claim to have lifted the coveted trophy, Namibia being the fifth.
The competition will be an excellent tune-up for teams before they resume their 2026 Fifa World Cup qualification campaigns in September, giving them the potential for as many as five fixtures.
Matches will be broadcast on SABC and SuperSport, and streamed live on Fifa+. – Additional reporting cosafa.com
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