NAMIBIA started off their campaign in the Metropolitan Cosafa Under 20 tournament with a 2-2 draw against Lesotho on Saturday in Lobatse, Botswana.
The match started with both teams trying to size each other up, with the Namibians getting the better of their opponents by visiting the Lesotho goal area very often.Twelve minutes into the match the referee awarded the Namibians their first free kick of the match and it was at the edge of the Lesotho penalty box which was taken by Steven Sabatha but the Namibian strikers failed to connect with the shot.The Namibians, through midfielder Neville Tziueza and striker Benson Shilongo, gave the Lesotho defence a hard time with their continued pressing in the goal area.Lesotho responded to the pressure by going on the counter-attack and a shot by striker Litsipe Marabe was parried for a corner kick by goalkeeper Colin Ndjai in the 27th minute.The Namibians went on the attack again five minutes later with captain Sidney Urikhob’s shot only managing to hit the side netting, much to the disappointment of the Namibian bench.Two minutes later, Willy Stepanus’s attempt at goal also went wide.In the 43rd minute, Lesotho reacted to that by going on the attack and Tsebang Lebata scored after exchanging passes with Marabe and Tsoanelo Kaotle. Lesotho went into halftime 1-0 ahead.Ten minutes into the second half, Lesotho got their second goal of the match through Marabe as a result of a pass from Tumisang Bereng on the left side. Marabe dummied two defenders before firing the shot that put his team two goals ahead.In the 60th minute, Urikhob scored Namibia’s first goal of the match from a shot from inside the penalty box that beat Lesotho goalkeeper Kananelo Makhooane.The match continued with both teams trying to penetrate the other’s defence but always coming short.In the 83rd minute, Urikhob levelled the scores from the same spot where he scored his first goal. – namibiasport.com.na
