Durban disaster: Under-20s thrashed 8-0 by Madagascar

NAMIBIA’S under-20 football team were hammered 8-0 by Madagascar in their opening match of the Vodacom Cosafa Youth Cup at the University of Natal in Durban, South Africa, on Saturday.

Namibia will play Seychelles today in their second match, and will go up against Malawi tomorrow, before meeting Angola on Wednesday. The Namibian Sport struggled to get comment from coach Bobby Samaria and team manager Lesley Kozonguizi on Saturday and yesterday, as their cellular phones were consistently on voice mail.Namibia will stand a better chance to go through to the knockout stages provided they win all three matches in the group stage, but their path will be difficult, considering the downfall to Madagascar, which is generally considered as a minnow in southern African football.If Namibia win two of their remaining matches, they will still stand a chance, but the goal difference (eight goals against) is likely to work against them later in the competition.The Namibian team left in high spirits last Thursday with Samaria saying that they were lucky to be drawn in Group C, which he viewed as an easy group, and that they stood a chance to advance to the semi-final stages of the competition.There are three groups and 13 countries competing.The team gathered some of the finest players in the domestic league, but their loss to Madagascar signals more trouble to come, judging from the score line on Saturday.The next match will be against Seychelles at Chatsworth Stadium, also in Durban, while they will be expected to tackle Malawi at the King Zwelethini Stadium.Angola’s fixture against Namibia will be decided at the Sugar Ray Xulu Stadium.On paper, the Namibian team looks solid, as 14 of the 20 players are doing duty for premiership teams.The notable aspect is their forwards, with players such as Saul Coetzee and Ettiene Beukes (Orlando Pirates), Lazarus Kaimbi and Ninja Karongee (Ramblers).The four strikers are all capable of causing havoc for opposing defenders, but Madagascar instead caused the damage to the Namibian backline.Coetzee and Beukes are the key strikers for the high-flying Pirates and their services for the under-20 side are invaluable, as is the case with Kaimbi and Karongee who are also leading strikers at their club.The side was also boosted by the Brave Warriors goalkeeper Ephraim Tjihonge who was included in the team at the last minute after first-choice Maximillian Mbaeva, who turns out for Desert Rollers, was ruled out with a knee injury.Midfield genius Lucky Ganaseb from Rundu Chiefs could, despite his height, also be dangerous if given room, and can be aided by Civics dribbling master Patrick Jagger in that role.Ganaseb proved that he is destined for bigger things when he performed with distinction for the Kavango Region in The Namibian Newspaper Cup earlier this year.He was also involved in the 2004 and 2003 championships of the competition.Black Africa and Orlando Pirates each has four players in the side, followed by Blue Waters and Ramblers with two each.There is one player each from Eleven Arrows (Denga Mwaikange), Otjozondjupa Region (Angula Da Costa), Rundu Chiefs (Ganaseb), Karas Region (Frans de Muida), Tigers (Letu Shatimuene), Civics (Patrick Jagger) and Golden Bees (Linton Aoseb).The other countries competing at the tournament are South Africa, Zimbabwe, Mozambique and Botswana in Group A, while Zambia, Lesotho, Mauritius and Swaziland are in Group B.The Namibian Sport struggled to get comment from coach Bobby Samaria and team manager Lesley Kozonguizi on Saturday and yesterday, as their cellular phones were consistently on voice mail.Namibia will stand a better chance to go through to the knockout stages provided they win all three matches in the group stage, but their path will be difficult, considering the downfall to Madagascar, which is generally considered as a minnow in southern African football.If Namibia win two of their remaining matches, they will still stand a chance, but the goal difference (eight goals against) is likely to work against them later in the competition.The Namibian team left in high spirits last Thursday with Samaria saying that they were lucky to be drawn in Group C, which he viewed as an easy group, and that they stood a chance to advance to the semi-final stages of the competition.There are three groups and 13 countries competing.The team gathered some of the finest players in the domestic league, but their loss to Madagascar signals more trouble to come, judging from the score line on Saturday.The next match will be against Seychelles at Chatsworth Stadium, also in Durban, while they will be expected to tackle Malawi at the King Zwelethini Stadium.Angola’s fixture against Namibia will be decided at the Sugar Ray Xulu Stadium.On paper, the Namibian team looks solid, as 14 of the 20 players are doing duty for premiership teams.The notable aspect is their forwards, with players such as Saul Coetzee and Ettiene Beukes (Orlando Pirates), Lazarus Kaimbi and Ninja Karongee (Ramblers).The four strikers are all capable of causing havoc for opposing defenders, but Madagascar instead caused the damage to the Namibian backline.Coetzee and Beukes are the key strikers for the high-flying Pirates and their services for the under-20 side are invaluable, as is the case with Kaimbi and Karongee who are also leading strikers at their club.The side was also boosted by the Brave Warriors goalkeeper Ephraim Tjihonge who was included in the team at the last minute after first-choice Maximillian Mbaeva, who turns out for Desert Rollers, was ruled out with a knee injury.Midfield genius Lucky Ganaseb from Rundu Chiefs could, despite his height, also be dangerous if given room, and can be aided by Civics dribbling master Patrick Jagger in that role.Ganaseb proved that he is destined for bigger things when he performed with distinction for the Kavango Region in The Namibian Newspaper Cup earlier this year.He was also involved in the 2004 and 2003 championships of the competition.Black Africa and Orlando Pirates each has four players in the side, followed by Blue Waters and Ramblers with two each.There is one player each from Eleven Arrows (Denga Mwaikange), Otjozondjupa Region (Angula Da Costa), Rundu Chiefs (Ganaseb), Karas Region (Frans de Muida), Tigers (Letu Shatimuene), Civics (Patrick Jagger) and Golden Bees (Linton Aoseb).The other countries competing at the tournament are South Africa, Zimbabwe, Mozambique and Botswana in Group A, while Zambia, Lesotho, Mauritius and Swaziland are in Group B.