Nowhere to hide for wobbly Warriors 

Today is a good day to get back to winning ways for the Brave Warriors. It is an opportune time to get over the hangover of losing another Cosafa Cup final, winning a first Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) match, and reaching the knock-out phase.

Today, a win over Zimbabwe’s Warriors in Johannesburg would revive hopes of reaching successive Afcon finals and maintain their advantage over their regional rivals.

Namibia began their 2025 Afcon qualifying campaign with back to back losses and require a positive result to stay in touch with group leaders Kenya and Cameroon, who face each other twice during this international window.

Both defeats, first 1-0 away to Cameroon and then 2-1 at home to Kenya, laid bare the Brave Warriors’ meek attack and defensive frailties, as pressure mounts on head coach Collin Benjamin.

Questionable refereeing may have cost Namibia the loss to Cameroon’s Indomitable Lions, but erratic defending coupled with insipid finishing gifted victory to Kenya’s Harambee Stars.

Benjamin knows that failure to beat Zimbabwe will in all likelihood spell elimination from the qualifying race with three more match days to go.

“We had four or five chances. We just couldn’t get the ball behind the back of the net. And, for us as a technical team, we look at those aspects and we say ‘the team is alive’. I think there was more to that game than what we got out of it,” Benjamin recalls.

“But that also tells you that if you don’t take your chances, somebody else is going to take their chances. Those are the lessons that we took. But I am still of the opinion that nothing is lost.

“It is not that the team is lacking goals, we have proven goal-scorers in the team. It is just some mess that is the nature of the game,” says Benjamin.

Likewise, the Warriors from Zimbabwe, who have two draws and as many points to their name so far, want to be among the two teams in the pool advancing to the finals in Morocco next year.

Returning captain Marvelous Nakamba is eager to contribute to his team’s quest, having missed the first two matches while recovering from a long term injury.

“I’m delighted to be back in the national team,” the England-based midfielder told Bulawayo24.com this week.

“Everyone is pushing each other in the camp, everyone is giving everything to fight for the badge and the country,” Nakamba continued.

“We have some new young players coming in. They are very good, and we, as senior players, are helping them settle in. We are a group, we are family, and it’s good to see the youngsters stepping up.”

But despite boasting the bigger names from more affluent leagues, Zimbabwe find Namibia a hard nut to crack, having lost four times in their last five meetings across the board.

Zimbabwe last tasted victory against Namibia in 2017, managing a 1-0 win against the Brave Warriors in an Africa Cup of Nations qualifier at the National Sports Stadium in Harare.

Their coach Micheal Nees bemoaned the limited preparation time, managing only one full session with his full squad before the match.

“We must always be realistic with what you can work on in such a session. It’s not always about training; its also a mental approach and focus from the players,” says Nees.

The game will be played without a crowd at the request of Namibia, but Nees believes that the team will still feel the support.

“Of course, football is for fans, but we take it as it is. Even when spectators are not here, you can feel the support before the game. The players know the fans are behind them,” Nees says.