The humble beginnings of women’s football

From community fields to the region’s biggest stadiums, Namibia’s Brave Gladiators’ journey shows how grassroots programmes, persistent support and structured development can turn young girls’ dreams into historic triumphs.

Veteran women’s football analyst and retired footballer Julien Garises says when they finally formed a women’s football team in the early 1990s, they struggled to get proper playing gear.

“We borrowed jerseys from different clubs, and that has brought about positive change because of our persistence and perseverance to one day see the national team, alias Brave Gladiators, crowned regional champions.”

Garises calls on the national football leadership to return to the original purpose of the Galz & Goals Centre and to uphold the ethos and objectives for which the centre was established.

Namibia Football Association (NFA) spokesperson Memory Jeomba discusses the journey of women’s football and the role the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (Unicef) played in shaping the Brave Gladiators.

A statement by NFA says the Brave Gladiators’ historic Hollywoodbets Cosafa Women’s Championship win shows what belief, investment and opportunity can achieve.

For many players draped in the Namibian flag on 1 March, the victory was years in the making. It began on community fields in small towns and villages across the country, where little girls first dared to chase a ball.

WHERE THE DREAM BEGAN

Through the NFA Galz & Goals programme, sponsored by unicef Namibia, football has provided access to sport, protection and safe spaces, empowering girls to dream bigger.

Across Namibia, the Galz & Goals programme launched grassroots initiatives to provide safe spaces for girls as young as seven. By using football as a platform, the programme promotes healthy lifestyles, HIV-AIDS awareness and promotes gender equality, empowering girls to make informed life choices.

The programme has dismantled barriers. It has given young girls structured competition, mentorship and visibility. It encouraged parents to support their daughters’ ambitions. It built confidence in communities where opportunities for girls in sport were limited.

Many of today’s Brave Gladiators were once those young girls lacing up their boots before a Galz & Goals match, unaware that they were laying the foundation for history.

In 2010, the NFA Galz & Goals programme selected a national under-15 team that participated in the Hessequa Cup in Cape Town.

The team won the under-15 category during the build-up to the 2010 Fifa World Cup in South Africa.

Unicef Namibia’s partnership with the NFA provided young players such as Lovisa Mulunga, Emma Naris and Memory Ngonda the invaluable opportunity to compete internationally at an early age, helping to lay a strong foundation for the future of women’s football in Namibia.

The under-14 team was selected with the support of the Directorate of Sport through Score Namibia. This marked the first international exposure for Mulunga, who captained the team at 12 years old. She led the girls to one of the world’s most popular youth football tournaments, the Norway Cup.

At the time, Jacqui Shipanga, now the technical director of the NFA, was serving as the national manager of Score Namibia. She played a key role in introducing the girls’ team to the tournament organisers.

Many stakeholders rallied behind this groundbreaking opportunity for girls’ football development. Jacqui Gertze was appointed as head coach to lead the team, with Raymond Vries serving as team manager.

THE BRIDGE TO GREATNESS

As the girls grew, so did their game.

Their talent needed structure, competition and sustainability. That next step was made possible through the Skorpion Zinc Mine who sponsored the women’s league for two years before banking giants First National Bank (FNB) Namibia took over in 2023.

With FNB’s backing, the league has become more than a domestic competition. As a proving ground, the FNB Women’s Super League (WSL) has raised standards, increased visibility for female players and created a clear pathway to the national team.

Week after week, players are sharpening their skills, building resilience and learning to compete under pressure – experiences that would ultimately prepare them for regional glory.

CAPTAIN’s EMOTIONAL TRIBUTE

After lifting the Cosafa trophy, Mulunga, the Brave Gladiators’ captain, paused amid the celebrations.

“When we celebrate today, we are celebrating a journey that started when we were just kids,” she says.

“Some of us were seven years old in the Galz & Goals programme. We didn’t just learn how to pass a ball, we learned that we mattered. Unicef Namibia gave us spaces where we felt safe, valued and powerful. They helped our families see that football was not a distraction, it was an opportunity,” she says.

“And when we grew older, Fifa and Skorpion Zinc Namibia came on board with a structured league and in 2023 the FNB WSL was birthed. The FNB Women Super League gives us a stage. FNB Namibia didn’t just sponsor a league, they invested in our future. They helped create a system where our talent could grow instead of disappear.

“This trophy is proof that when you believe in girls consistently, from grassroots to elite level, you don’t just develop players. You develop champions.”

She says the women development in Namibia still has a long way to go.

“We are still a mile behind, especially in terms of development. The NFA carries the cost of all the women regional leagues and that is a lot for the association. We need more sponsors to come on board to help develop the next crop of women footballers in the country”

DEFINITELY MORE THAN A TITLE

The Cosafa victory is historic. But its deeper significance lies in what it represents: a generation of girls who were given access, nurtured through structured competition and empowered to defy expectations.

From grassroots fields supported by Unicef Namibia to the competitive stadiums of the FNB WSL, the Brave Gladiators’ journey is a powerful reminder that sustainable success in women’s sport does not happen overnight. It is built patiently, intentionally and collectively.

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