04 Jul 2016

The Namibian Under 17 soccer team also known as the Young Warriors has knocked the Botswana side out of the preliminary stages of the Madagascar 2017 qualifiers in a game played Saturday. 

Although the Botswana side also called the Young Zebras won 2-1 ,the 1-0 defeat in the first leg saw the visitors triumph on aggregate.

The Namibians, buoyed by the fact that they approached the match with one leg on the next stage of the competition, were the first to open the score charts through a brilliant strike by Godwin Awaseb on the 14th minute ostensibly with the intention to put the game out of reach for the Young Zebras. And true to their name, the goal came within a fraction of a minute as the end product of a counter attack after the Zebras had missed the mouth of goal, on the other side by a hair’s breadth.

 Zubair Masu’s goal on the 36th minute however shifted the balance of power from the Namibians to the Young Zebras who started attacking in numbers in an attempt to finish the game off. Their efforts were rewarded a little before the halftime mark by Kaone Bogosi with a volley.

Although they lost on aggregate, the Young Zebras had displayed individual brilliance in the likes of Obakeng Rapula, Freedom Ndliziyo, Bakang Leshona, Gape Thibedi, Obed Motlhabane, Masu and Bogosi and turned the clash into a classic example of skill versus brawn. And like a burnt child who dreads fire, the Young Zebras skilfully stopped the visitors from playing their normal game of speed the way they did in their backyard.

The Warriors on the other hand, used physical presence particularly in the last line of defence to keep Bogosi, Masu and Ndliziyo who are not that endowed in terms of stature at bay through Haukongo Lubeni, Stanley Ndjavera, and Immanuel Isaya among others.

Meanwhile, Zebras coach Tshepo Mphukuthi has appealed to the local business community to sponsor his team to enable the boys to play more international games and grow together. He said with more support, the boys could go far.

Warriors coach, Timothy Tjongarero on the other hand said his opponents had improved from where they had left off in the first leg particularly by closing his charges down on speed. 

He was nonetheless, unhappy that his boys missed some chances they had created. The win places the Young Warriors on a collision path with Congo Brazzaville in the next stage of the competition. ENDS