Bafana match: Youngsters in pound seats

THE international friendly between the Brave Warriors and Bafana Bafana on August 16 is also aimed at raising funds for the Colin Benjamin Soccer Academy (CBSA), which played a role in bringing the side to Namibia.

The fundraising idea was revealed yesterday after it emerged that the CBSA played a key role in bringing the South Africans to Namibia, instead of any other country or club from elsewhere. The Namibia Football Association (NFA) is also working in partnership with the CBSA.The match will be played at the Sam Nujoma Stadium.CBSA spokesperson Isack Tuyeni Hamata said the idea was to secure funds that would help the Academy sustain itself.”Our primary responsibility is to ensure our players make the national teams,” he said.He thanked the national soccer body for their assistance in securing Bafana Bafana and also the Namibia Football Consortium (NFC) for granting them permission to approach other sponsors.The NFC is made up of Namibia Breweries, Mobile Telecommunications Limited (MTC) and First National Bank (FNB), and is the sole sponsor of football in the country.Hamata called on the thousands of football fans to show up at the stadium in support of the national team and the Collin Benjamin Soccer Academy.He said the founder of the academy, Benjamin, who plays professional football in Germany, will also attend the match.The match will mainly serve as preparation for both countries ahead of their African Nations Cup matches later this year.The match also forms part of the friendly international calendar of Fifa.Namibia is set to play against the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) while South Africa will engage DRC Brazzaville.Namibia has beaten South Africa twice at the Independence Stadium in 1998 and 1999 during the Cosafa Cup but lost to them during the Africa Cup of Nations in Burkina Faso in 1998.NFA’s Barry Rukoro applauded the academy for the positive initiative of bringing Bafana Bafana to Namibian soil.He urged other soccer academies to emulate the Collin Benjamin Soccer Academy in developing football.He also urged football supporters to come in numbers and support the game.The Academy was established last year and has a membership of 70 to 75 players.They have their training sessions at the Moses van der Byl Primary School in Katutura.One of the Academy’s commitments is to make sure that Namibian football players make their mark as being among the best individuals in the game worldwide.Jacob Amaning, a local talent scout and football expert, established the academy with Benjamin to provide a safety net for talented youngsters.The founders of the academy have also committed themselves to scouting for and developing players, while the academy also offers football development programmes.Another chief goal of the academy is to add its weight to the alleviation of poverty, fighting hunger and preventing the spread of HIV-AIDS.The academy has a three-year master plan which will be completed next year, after it was started in 2005.Benjamin is one of the most experienced players for Namibia and will possibly be included in the side which will face Bafana Bafana .The Namibian team is not yet known.Tickets are N$20 for the open stand and N$200 for the VIP area.NampaThe Namibia Football Association (NFA) is also working in partnership with the CBSA.The match will be played at the Sam Nujoma Stadium.CBSA spokesperson Isack Tuyeni Hamata said the idea was to secure funds that would help the Academy sustain itself.”Our primary responsibility is to ensure our players make the national teams,” he said.He thanked the national soccer body for their assistance in securing Bafana Bafana and also the Namibia Football Consortium (NFC) for granting them permission to approach other sponsors.The NFC is made up of Namibia Breweries, Mobile Telecommunications Limited (MTC) and First National Bank (FNB), and is the sole sponsor of football in the country.Hamata called on the thousands of football fans to show up at the stadium in support of the national team and the Collin Benjamin Soccer Academy.He said the founder of the academy, Benjamin, who plays professional football in Germany, will also attend the match.The match will mainly serve as preparation for both countries ahead of their African Nations Cup matches later this year.The match also forms part of the friendly international calendar of Fifa.Namibia is set to play against the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) while South Africa will engage DRC Brazzaville.Namibia has beaten South Africa twice at the Independence Stadium in 1998 and 1999 during the Cosafa Cup but lost to them during the Africa Cup of Nations in Burkina Faso in 1998.NFA’s Barry Rukoro applauded the academy for the positive initiative of bringing Bafana Bafana to Namibian soil.He urged other soccer academies to emulate the Collin Benjamin Soccer Academy in developing football.He also urged football supporters to come in numbers and support the game.The Academy was established last year and has a membership of 70 to 75 players.They have their training sessions at the Moses van der Byl Primary School in Katutura.One of the Academy’s commitments is to make sure that Namibian football players make their mark as being among the best individuals in the game worldwide.Jacob Amaning, a local talent scout and football expert, established the academy with Benjamin to provide a safety net for talented youngsters.The founders of the academy have also committed themselves to scouting for and developing players, while the academy also offers football development programmes.Another chief goal of the academy is to add its weight to the alleviation of poverty, fighting hunger and preventing the spread of HIV-AIDS.The academy has a three-year master plan which will be completed next year, after it was started in 2005.Benjamin is one of the most experienced players for Namibia and will possibly be included in the side which will face Bafana Bafana .The Namibian team is not yet known.Tickets are N$20 for the open stand and N$200 for the VIP area.Nampa